15th Anniversary Walk Along for Lupus

The Lupus Alliance of America Long Island/Queens Affiliate will be celebrating the 15th Anniversary Walk-Along for Lupus on Sunday, October 19th 2008.

When the Walk-Along for Lupus, the longest running lupus walk on Long Island began 14 years ago, 350 people raised $35,000. Last year over 2,000 people raised over $265,000! In total over the last 14 years the Walk-Along for Lupus has raised over $2,227,000 dollars. That money has helped the Lupus Alliance of LI/Q grow from a grassroots organization, started out of the kitchens of volunteers to a fully staffed round the clock non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in the Long Island/Queens area whose lives have been touched by lupus. The money raised through the Walk-Along for Lupus has been The Alliance’s main source of funding for their programs and research efforts. Their programs include financial assistance for medical bills, prescriptions, household expenses and more, support services that include support groups, one-on-one telephone counseling, educational seminars, doctor referral lists, brochures, newsletters, a full lending library and more, as well as community outreach programs designed to spread awareness about lupus through libraries, private organizations and schools, and a program for children with lupus, and for children whose parent has lupus, offering scholarships, financial assistance, fun outings and more. On the research front, the Lupus Alliance of LI/Q has given over $300,000 in the last three years to novel National research in an effort to help find the cause and cure for lupus. This year, the 15th Anniversary Walk-Along for Lupus is already looking to be the Alliance’s best year yet. The festivities will include Greg-T and the Z-100 prize van, live music from the Red White and Blues Band; face painting the NY Islanders give-a-way van, massage demonstrations and more. The Walk-Along for Lupus will be held in Eisenhower Park, Field #6. Registration will begin at 8:30am, and the walk begins at 10am, Rain or Shine. The minimum registration fee is $15 per person. Prizes include Gift Cards to BestBuy, Macy’s and Fortunoff when you individually raise $500 or more. Everyone who raises over $50 receives a Walk-Along for Lupus T-Shirt, and everyone who raises at least $15 receives a special registration tote bag. To register please visit www.lupusliqueens.org and click on the orange Walk-Along loop. The Walk-Along website is up and running and ready for you to start fundraising today. Once you register you can design your own walk webpage, add pictures and text, and new this year, you can add a YouTube video explaining why you walk for Lupus! Let everyone know why walking for lupus is important to you, and who in your life has been touched by lupus. You can also download fundraising widgets for your MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook pages to help you collect donations from your online friends and family. You can also register the day of the walk, or at the Bellmore office at 2255 Centre Avenue. Please call the office at 516-783-3370 for extended walk business hours, questions and details.