Calling on Volunteers for Lupus Walk!

8th Annual Virginia Walk to End Lupus Now
Presented by the Lupus Foundation of America- DC/MD/VA Chapter

Richmond, VA -- The Lupus Foundation of America DC/MD/VA Chapter will host its annual Walk To End Lupus NowTM event in Richmond, VA on October 15th at Bon Secours Redskins Training Camp. The Walk to End Lupus Now events are held in more than 60 cities across the country, making it the largest lupus walk program in the entire country. The walk events bring together community members -- people with lupus, friends, families, health care providers, celebrities and other stakeholders -- to raise money for lupus research and education programs, increase awareness of the disease, and rally public support for those who feel the brutal impact of lupus.

A recent survey found that 72 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34, the age group at greatest risk for the disease, have either not heard about lupus at all or know little or nothing about the disease beyond the name. Every dollar raised from the Walk to End Lupus Now event, as well as the others like it that take place across the country, supports the Lupus Foundation of America’s efforts to solve the mystery of lupus -- one of the world’s cruelest, most unpredictable and devastating diseases -- by increasing public awareness of the disease, funding critically needed research programs and providing local support programs and services to those who suffer from its brutal impact.

“Lupus is a significant concern in the Washington Metropolitan area,” explains President and CEO, Katy Ahmed “Each year, more than 80,000 residents look to us for support and resources. We need more awareness of lupus and we need more resources for research to continue efforts to find a cure for this terrible disease. We hope the community will join us in our fight to end lupus.”

Registration for the Walk is open online at http://richmondlupuswalk.kintera.org/ or by calling

202.787-5390. Participants can also create a personal fundraising page on the Walk website to raise money, recruit new team members, and get valuable fundraising tips.