South Floridians will have the chance to change the future of lupus now as they walk for a cure during the annual Miami Beach Walk for Lupus Now event. The Walk, which kicks off at Lummus Park on Saturday, October 9, 2010, is an opportunity for lupus patients, their loved ones and the community to band together and support the over 30,000 South Floridians living with lupus and their families and to remember those who have lost their lives to this devastating disease. Sponsored by the Lupus Foundation of America, Southeast Florida Chapter, the focus and goal of the Walk is to raise essential funds needed for lupus research, education and support services.
Walk for Lupus Now registration can be completed online at http://www.lupusfl.org or by calling 1-800-339-0586. Onsite registration will open at 8am the day of the event. The Walk will start at 9 a.m. with refreshments along the way. The goal for the walk is to raise $30,000 to represent the 30,000 people living in South Florida with lupus. People often walk “in honor” of a friend or family member who has lupus or “in memory” of someone who lost his or her battle with lupus. They are joined by hundreds of people living with lupus who walk as individuals or as part of a team to raise funds to bring an end to this life-diminishing and life-threatening disease.
Spread the word and come join the effort to help lupus patients and their families and friends, who are all banding together to seek a cure for this debilitating, chronic disease that causes inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system. It is estimated that lupus affects 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million people worldwide. The mission of the Southeast Florida Chapter of the LFA is to provide ongoing support, information and hope to the over 100,000 people living with lupus and their loved ones.
About Lupus
Lupus is an acute and chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually any organ in the body. Ninety percent of the people with lupus are women and it is two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans and Asians. The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) estimates that more than 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus. In addition, there has not been a new treatment for lupus in over 50 years. This may change this year with the introduction of Benlysta, a new medication from GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences. It is the hope that this biological medication will pass FDA approval by early 2011.