It’s estimated, between 20,000 to 50,000 people in the U.S. may have a disease which results in brittle bones.

But one local woman is hoping a picnic and gathering will help spread public awareness about the disease.

Geneva Flolo, of Port Orchard, is helping organize a picnic for a Wishbone Day celebration to spread awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta or “bittle bones.” The event is 2-5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Jackson Lund Park.

Wishbone Day — actually set on May 6 — is an international day of awareness for osteogenesis imperfecta or “bittle bones.”

Wishbone Day supporters ask volunteers to be creative in bringing positive awareness to their community about the lives of people living with OI.

Flolo said she expects more than 50 people, mostly children, to attend the picnic which will feature food and games. She has been sending out fliers and promoting the event on Facebook.com.

“This is for all the kids to enjoy” she said. “We’re encourage everyone who attends to wear yellow.”

She said wearing yellow helps people become aware and ask more about OI.

She got involved about promoting awareness about the disease when she discovered her 6-year-old niece has OI.

“She has had more than 100 breaks,” Flolo said. “We want more local people aware about OI.”

Flolo said there is a OI support group for families in Seattle, but would like to see a group formed locally.

According to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, OI is caused by genetic defects that affect the body’s ability to make strong bones. In dominant (classical) OI, a person has too little type I collagen or a poor quality of type I collagen due to a mutation in one of the type I collagen genes.

Collagen is the major protein of the body’s connective tissue. It is part of the framework that bones are formed around. In recessive OI, mutations in other genes interfere with collagen production.

The result in all cases is fragile bones that break easily.

For more information about OI, visit www.oif.org.