Will you walk with us?

Beverly, a Walker from California, shares her lupus story and why she joins the Lupus Foundation of America and Walk for Lupus Now® below. Sign up for a Walk in your community at www.WalkforLupusNow.org.

Beverly from California

I was diagnosed with lupus while serving in the United States Air Force. I was a flight test engineer flying as a back seater in F-16s and T-38s. After a long, hot summer in the desert I noticed a rash across the bridge of my nose and cheeks, some raised bumps on my fingers, increasing joint pain, and severe fatigue after each flight. I was immediately instructed to have the flight surgeon look at me. After a gamut of blood work and tests they confirmed it was definitely lupus, and that it had already gone to some of my major organs.

I was terrified. The only other person I'd ever heard of having lupus was my cousin, who died from complications of this disease less than a year after her symptoms showed up.

However, I'm thrilled to say, 5 years later, I'm doing very well. I was blessed with an amazing rheumatologist and support system. I believe lupus can be a very isolating disease. It's hard to explain to someone who does not have it, what it's like on those really bad days. My countertop looks like a small pharmacy. The list of drugs I have to take just to feel *okay* is overwhelming.

I have participated in WALK FOR LUPUS NOW® for four years. One of the amazing things about the walk is that it reminds you that you are not alone. There is a whole community of people who understand how you feel and what you’re going through.

We need more resources. We need more research. We NEED a CURE.

So I walk. I walk for research. I walk for support. I walk for my daughters. I walk in my memory of my cousin. I walk for the hope of some day finding a cure, so that I may once again, be LUPUS FREE.

Please join me and sign up today for a WALK FOR LUPUS NOW® event in your community. Together, we CAN FIGHT this terrible and life-altering disease.

Join Walk for Lupus Now® for Fall Events

Our 2011 Fall Walks have begun! Join the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Walk for Lupus Now® and help bring us one step closer to finding a cure. Walk to make a difference in the lives of people affected by lupus and raise urgently needed funds for research, education, and support services. Walks held during August and September are listed below.

Lexington, KY – 8/27 Lubbock, TX – 9/3 Northwest Indiana – 9/3 Cleveland, OH – 9/10 Kansas City, MO – 9/10 Nashville, TN – 9/10 New Haven, CT – 9/17 Akron, OH – 9/17 Fayetteville, NC – 9/17

Spokane, WA – 9/17 Anchorage, AK – 9/18 Chicago, IL – 9/18 Los Angeles, CA – 9/24 Miami, FL – 9/24 Des Moines, IA – 9/24 Central Indiana – 9/24 Louisville, KY – 9/24 Baltimore, MD – 9/24

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place, please visit http://www.walkforlupusnow.org.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk.

Spring Walks are in Full Swing!

Join the Lupus Foundation of America Walk for Lupus Now® and bring us one step closer to finding a cure! Walk to make a difference in the lives of people affected by lupus and raise urgently needed funds for research, education, and support services. Walks held during April and May are listed below by date. Visit Walkforlupusnow.org to find a Walk near you!

4/30/2011 - San Diego, CA
4/30/2011 - Atlanta, GA
4/30/2011 - Cincinnati, OH
5/1/2011 - Trumbull, CT
5/1/2011 - Raleigh, NC
5/1/2011 - Houston, TX
5/14/2011 - Hollywood, FL
5/14/2011 - Weatherford, TX
5/15/2011 - Tampa, FL
5/15/2011 - Ocean City, NJ
5/21/2011 - Hot Springs, AR
5/21/2011 - Southern Suburbs, IL
5/21/2011 - Charlotte, NC
5/21/2011 - New York City, NY
5/21/2011 - Salt Lake City, UT
5/22/2011 - West Hartford, CT
5/22/2011 - Northern Suburbs, IL
5/22/2011 - Denver, CO

Join the Lupus Foundation of America and Eduardo Xol to Walk for Lupus Now®

Eduardo Xol from ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Named the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now Grand Marshal

(Washington, DC) – Join the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) and the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now® Grand Marshal, Eduardo Xol from ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and register today to Walk for Lupus Now.  People with lupus, their family, and friends can sign up to walk in more than 70 cities across the country to raise funds for life-saving research and education programs, while raising awareness of lupus within their communities.

As the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now Grand Marshal Eduardo Xol will serve as an ambassador of the program by raising awareness, attending a limited number of Walks, and supporting the LFA’s outreach and fundraising for the program.

“My sister has lupus and the Lupus Foundation of America was there for my family when we needed answers and support,” said Eduardo Xol, LFA’s Walk for Lupus Now Grand Marshal and designer for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. “That’s why I’m proud to be part of the LFA’s Walk for Lupus Now, which brings families and friends together to raise awareness of this disease in their communities.”

To find a Walk in your community or register, visit WalkForLupusNow.org or call 877-910-9779.

Walk for Lupus Now® - October and November Events

Join the Lupus Foundation of America Walk for Lupus Now® and bring us one step closer to finding a cure! Walk to make a difference in the lives of people affected by lupus and raise urgently needed funds for research, education, and support services. Walks held during October and November are listed below by state.

AZ Tempe, Nov 14
CA San Francisco, Oct 24
FL Miami Dade County, Oct 9
IL Downtown Chicago, Oct 2
IL Western Suburbs, Oct 3
IN Carmel, Oct 9
MO St. Louis, Oct 2
NJ Cranford, Oct 3
PA Philadelphia, Oct 31
VA Richmond, Oct 30
VT Montpelier, Sep 25
WA Olympia, Oct 2
WA Seattle, Oct 16

For more information, please visit www.lupus.org/walk.

Walk for Lupus Now®: Fall Events

Walk for Lupus Now® is the LFA’s signature fundraising and awareness event which occurs annually in over 70 communities across the nation. Walks held during late August and September are:

AK – Anchorage, Sep 15
CA – Los Angeles, Sep 25
CT – Hamden, Sep 26
IA – Des Moines, Sep 25
IN – Hobart, Sep 11
KS – Wichita, Aug 28
KY – Lexington, Aug 28
KY – Louisville, Sep 25
MO – Kansas City, Sep 18
MO – Rolla, Sep 19
MD – Baltimore, Sep 25
NC – Fayetteville, Sep 19
OH – Cincinnati, Sep 25
OR – Portland, Sep 11
TN – Nashville, Sep 18
TX – Lubbock, Sep 18
WA – Spokane, Sep 19

Visit us at www.lupus.org/walk for more information or to find a walk in your area.

Join us at one of the Walk for Lupus Now Launch Parties in Los Angeles County!

Enjoy donated food, wine bars & drink specials, raffles and fun as we launch our fourth annual Walk for Lupus Now Los Angeles! Pick up brochures, posters, rack cards and rack card holders. Mingle with other walkers and teams. Come to one or come to all! Bring your family, friends and team members. There is no cost to attend and no limit on how many people you bring. Click for more details and to RSVP.

Walk for Lupus Now: June Events

Walk for Lupus Now is the LFA’s signature fundraising and awareness event which annually occurs in 70 communities across the nation. Walks will be held during the month of June in:

AL – Birmingham, June 5
CA – Orange County, California, June 12
CT – Waterford, June 19
CO – Denver, June 13
MI – Southeast (Beverly Hills), June 5
MN – Minneapolis, June 12
OK – Oklahoma City, June 5
WI – Milwaukee, June 12

See if there is a Walk for Lupus Now event near you.

All LFA Walkers / Fans of the LFA … Meet LFA CEO, Sandra C. Raymond

Join us for a special teleconference with the President and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), Sandra C. Raymond, on Thursday, April 15th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST.

During this call you will learn about what is new in lupus research, as well as the progress that is being made in the areas of advocacy and increasing public awareness of lupus. Sandra will speak about LFA’s role in the advances on these issues that benefit all those whose lives are affected by lupus.

To RSVP, email walk@lupus.org, or leave a message containing your name, phone number and email address (if applicable) at 877-910-9779.

Dial-in information will be provided after a reservation is made.

Coming Soon ... Spring 2010 Walk for Lupus Now Events

Spring is just around the corner, and you know what that means ... it's Walk for Lupus Now season here at the Lupus Foundation of America. Monies raised from Walk for Lupus Now Walks will support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

You can walk "in honor" or "in memory" of a friend or family member with lupus. Thousands of walkers will participate in nearly 70 cities across the nation to raise funds to bring an end to this life-diminishing and life-threatening disease that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans.

Find the Walk for Lupus Now that's closest to you!

Kick-Off for San Diego Walk for Lupus Now This Weekend, January 23

This weekend, Saturday, January 23, is the Kick-Off for the 2010 Walk for Lupus Now event in San Diego. Here are the details you need to know.

San Diego Walk for Lupus Now Kick-Off
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lunch will be served
Santa Clara Recreation Center
1008 Santa Clara Place
San Diego, CA 92109

We need your help to make this year’s Walk the best yet! Please RSVP to Christi Rauth at Rauth@lupus.org or 202-510-8937.

Feel free to bring a guest who may want to learn more about the LFA and the Walk! And, don't forget to also invite members of your team!

See you on Saturday at 11 a.m.!

Scenes from the LFA, Mid-South Chapter's Walk for Lupus Now Event

On Saturday, September 12, the Lupus Foundation of America, Mid-South Chapter hosted its Walk for Lupus Now in Nashville at the beautiful and historic Centennial Park. The event began at 3 p.m. with live music from 5 of Nashville's best young musicians. Healthy snacks and drinks were donated by many area businesses. The Walk also featured children's activities, door prizes, free massages and more.

The Twilight Walk began at 5 p.m. with a parade of more than 60 teams which followed the park's paved path around the sunken flower garden, past the unique duck pond and the towering Parthenon. The finale of the event was lightning the Parthenon purple to help raise lupus awareness. Many of the walk's 650 participants returned to the Parthenon to view the majestic building lit purple for the first time in Nashville's history. It was a moving and extremely powerful statement (see pictures below).

The event was highlighted on a local TV station and the Chapter Walk Coordinator, Mary Self, shared the important purposes of the Walk for Lupus Now Nashville: to celebrate living well with lupus; to raise awareness for the disease; and to raise funds for research, programs, services and education.

Picture 1 of the Parthenon



Picture 2 of the Parthenon

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events Coming Up Thru Mid-September 2009

The fall Walk for Lupus Now season has begun, with monies raised from these events going to support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of Walks through mid-September 2009. They are alphabetical by state.

• Anchorage, Alaska -- September 19, 2009
  
• Los Angeles, California -- September 12, 2009
  
• New Haven, Connecticut -- September 13, 2009
  
• Chicago, Illinois -- September 19, 2009
  
• Northwest Indiana, Indiana -- September 12, 2009
  
• Louisville, Kentucky -- September 19, 2009
  
• Southeast Michigan -- September 12, 2009
  
• Ocean City, New Jersey -- September 13, 2009
  
• Fayetteville, North Carolina -- September 19, 2009
  
• Piqua, Ohio -- September 12, 2009
  
• Portland, Oregon -- September 19, 2009
  
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- September 13, 2009
  
• Nashville, Tennessee -- September 12, 2009
  
• Longview, Texas -- September 19, 2009
  
• Lubbock, Texas -- September 5, 2009

If you live in these areas, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in any of these areas, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events This Month

As you know, Walk for Lupus Now season is underway, and monies raised from these events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place during the month of August.

• Eureka, Illinois -- August 8, 2009
• Wichita, Kansas -- August 29, 2009
• Lexington, Kentucky -- August 29, 2009
• San Francisco, California -- August 30, 2009

If you live in any of these areas, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in these areas, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Until next time.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Event This Coming Weekend in Minnesota

Here is the Walk for Lupus Now event taking place this weekend, June 20-21.

• Minneapolis, Minnesota -- June 21, 2009

If you live in this area, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in this area, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events This Coming Weekend in Colorado and Wisconsin

The Spring 2009 Walk for Lupus Now season is beginning to wind down. As you know, monies raised from these events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place this weekend, June 13-14.

• Denver, Colorado -- June 14, 2009
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- June 13, 2009

If you live in these areas, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in these areas, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events This Coming Weekend in California and Florida

As you know, Walk for Lupus Now season is underway, and monies raised from these events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place this weekend, June 6-7.

• Orange County, California -- June 6, 2009
• St. Petersburg, Florida -- June 6, 2009

If you live in this area, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in this area, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Until next time.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Event This Coming Weekend in Connecticut

It's now Walk for Lupus Now season at the Lupus Foundation of America. Monies raised from Walk for Lupus Now events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place this weekend, May 29-31.

• West Hartford, Connecticut -- May 31, 2009

If you live in this area, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in this area, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Until next time.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events This Coming Weekend in Arkansas, Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Vermont

It's now Walk for Lupus Now season at the Lupus Foundation of America. Monies raised from Walk for Lupus Now events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place this weekend, May 16-17.

• Hot Springs, Arkansas -- May 16, 2009
• Vernon Hills, Illinois -- May 16, 2009
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- May 16, 2009
• Piscataway, New Jersey -- May 17, 2009
• Montpelier, Vermont -- May 17, 2009

If you live in one of these areas, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in one of those areas, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Until next time.

Check Out the Walk for Lupus Now Events This Coming Weekend in California, Michigan, and Ohio

It's now Walk for Lupus Now season here at the Lupus Foundation of America. Monies raised from Walk for Lupus Now events support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services.

Here is a listing of upcoming Walks, taking place this weekend, May 9-10.

• San Diego, California -- May 9, 2009
• Battle Creek, Michigan -- May 9, 2009
• Columbus, Ohio -- May 9, 2009

If you live in one of these areas, I certainly hope you will join us. Or if you have friends or family in one of those areas, please share this with them as well.

To see what other Walk for Lupus Now events are taking place near you, please visit http://www.lupus.org/walk.

If there is no Walk near you, you can still help the LFA by setting up your own fundraising page and participating in your own walk. For example, you could walk your local mall, hiking path or community park.

Until next time.