Walk for Lupus Now

On Saturday June 6, 2009, 9 am to noon, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the Greater Florida Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America will present Walk for Lupus Now 2009, a charity walk to benefit people with lupus.

We are all familiar with diseases for which there are charity walks, such as breast cancer and AIDS, but we might not be as familiar with the disease of lupus unless a friend or relative has this difficult condition. Lupus is an autoimmune disease which is inflammatory and chronic. It ranges from mild to moderate to life-threatening. It is a remitting/flaring disease. It is not curable. The cause is not known but there seems to be a genetic predisposition. Here are some facts about lupus extracted from the the Greater Florida Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America brochure:

4 times more Americans have lupus than have multiple sclerosis.

1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus, 1 in 200, 90,000 in the state of Florida, about 5,000 in Hillsborough County alone.

9 out of 10 lupus patients are women.

Lupus develops most often between the ages of 14 and 45 but can develop at any age.

Lupus is three times more prevalent in persons of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) than in Caucasians.

Lupus can develop in any person regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

Many lupus patients are unable to work at all or can only work part time, and are therefore uninsured.

Lupus is expensive to manage ($6,000-10,000 a year and up).

November 20, 1958 marks the last time the FDA approved a medication specifically for the treatment of lupus.

All of the medications used in the treatment of lupus have toxic side effects.

Left untreated, lupus patients are at risk for permanent organ damage and even death.

Greater Florida Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America President and CEO, Michael J. Keefer, and Maggi McQueen, Chairman of the Board

This is a very real and catastrophic, incurable disease which I would never have heard of had it not been for the fact that a dear friend of many years has it. I have watched her struggle and I know the fight against lupus is one that deserves everyone’s best efforts. I encourage you to support this particular event because, although there are other events in the area that benefit lupus research nationally, this event helps fund local patient education and support through the services of the Greater Florida Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America (www.lupusflorida.org), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, supporting individuals and families affected by the disease and increasing awareness among health professionals and the public. Founded in 1978, this is the largest Florida chapter under the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., serving more than 90,000 lupus patients in 47 Florida counties. Services include patient advocacy programs, educational seminars and support groups and funding for cutting edge lupus research.

The St. Petersburg walk is unique in that it is held indoors to prevent patients from exposure to the sun, photosensitivity being a common problem for lupus patients. Participants who raise $100 or more will earn an official Walk for Lupus Now T-shirt. Special guests include Master of Ceremonies Nerissa Prest, co-anchor of FOX 13’s Good Day Tampa Bay; Raymond the Rays Mascot; Big Nasty, the Bucs independent fan mascot; Sierra Minot, Miss Florida 2008; and members of the Bucs Cheerleaders. Walk for Lupus Now is a family friendly event with a moon walk, clowns, face painters, magicians and more.

How can you help?

Register to participate in the Walk (this is non-competitive walk; you don’t have to walk a certain number of miles; you just walk)
Support a walker by donating (you don’t pledge by the mile; you just make a flat donation for any amount you want)
Click HERE to register to walk or to donate
Download this flyer, print, and post where others may see it.*
Download this brochure, print, read, and share with those who may be interested.*
For more information call (727) 447-7075, visit www.lupusflorida.org, or email Linda Ruescher at editor@lupusflorida.org.