Step for the Cure 2001

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 17, 2000 Source: Rachelle Submitted By: Rachelle A 2K Kiddie Trot, 5K Walk and 5K Run For The Dorough Lupus Foundation A walk /road race is tentatively scheduled to be held in Lake Eola Park, in downtown Orlando, FL on Sunday, April 1, 2001. (If time and/or location changes are necessary, we will update this information as soon as possible.) A minimum pledge of $15.00 per walker is required. If you have 3 or more in a group the pledge is $25.00 for every 3 walkers/runners you register. Of course you may pledge more as our goal is to have every walker/runner pledge $100.00. All proceeds of the event will be donated to The Dorough Lupus Foundation for allocation to various organizations for lupus research and for financial assistance to individuals living with Lupus who cannot otherwise afford treatment. Registration will start at 7:00am with the Kiddie Trot to begin at 8:30am. The 2K Kiddie Trot will be open to all children from 2 to 10 years of age. It is designed primarily as a fun event, but the Trot will be two fold. First, it will promote the value of fitness and fun. Secondly, it will give children the opportunity to give back to the community. Ribbons and Certificates of Achievement will be issued to each child entered in the Trot. We are also looking at awarding prizes to the top three children who obtain the most pledges. The 5K walk is open to all ages and will follow the 2K Kiddie Trot. The walk is designed to promote not only public awareness of lupus but to promote the benefits of walking as an alternative lifestyle. Certificates of Achievement will be issued to all participants and the top 3 pledges will be awarded prizes. We are hoping to make the 5K Road Race a world class event attracting the running elite. It is the aim of The Step for the Cure Committee to invite runners of high caliber. They would in turn attract runners who would like to meet their idols thus making this event very successful. There will be medals awarded to the first 3 runners in each age division. Plaques and trophies to the fastest team mixed, male and female. Grand prizes would be awarded to the first 3 overall male and female finishers. Prizes to be announced at a later date. The Committee is hoping to host a Runners Clinic, with the guest runners giving tips on training, diet, proper equipment, etc to fellow participants. We are hoping to end the day with performances from various artists as we hold the finals to a talent show, raffle off prizes and have guest appearances from various celebrity artists. If you would like further information on the walk, would like a pre-registration packet, or would like to become a volunteer or sponsor, please e-mail us at stepforthecure@hotmail.com! Thanks you for your interest in this event. We hope to see you there! Questions & Answers What is The Dorough Lupus Foundation? Howie D of the Backstreet Boys created The Dorough Lupus Foundation, a non-for-profit organization, when his sister Caroline succumbed to the disease is 1998. It is Mr. Dorough's wish not to have another family go through what his family had to endure. The foundation allots monies to various organizations for research, increased public awareness of the disease and offers financial assistance to individuals living with the disease who otherwise could not afford treatment. If you would like further information on the foundation, please feel free to contact them at 4610 Limpscomb Street NE, Ste #2, Palm Bay, FL 32905. What is Lupus? Lupus is the more commonly known name for systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus falls into the category of disease known as autoimmune diseases. Lupus is a chronic disease characterized by periods of intermittent manifestations. The exact cause is unknown. It typically involves the lining of the joints (synovium) as well as the skin, lining of the chest cavity (pleura) and tiny blood vessels. Lupus falls into the category of autoimmune diseases due to it seems there is a malfunction in some of the cells of the immune system. In lupus the increased amount of antibodies attack healthy tissue. This attack leads to a kind of allergic reaction. The presence of these high amounts of self-fighting antibodies is the why the disease falls into the category of autoimmune disorders. Who gets Lupus? What are the determining factors? It is estimated that between 1.4 and 2 million people have lupus in the United States alone. Remember this is just an estimate. But incredibly it means that more people have lupus than some of the well-known diseases such as cancer, aids and multiple sclerosis. Lupus can occur in all races and ethnic groups although statistics indicate a higher than average incidence in blacks, Hispanics and Orientals. A very high percentage of individuals diagnosed with lupus are women in their childbearing years. Childbearing meaning the years between the start of menstruation and menopause. Some cases do occur earlier or later than these years but are usually not the norm. How serious is Lupus? Any chronic disease can be serious. The severity of lupus varies from mild (most common) to being life threatening. How serious the case depends on partly which system of the body is effected. It is important to remember that any illness, even mild ones, can become serious if not taken care of properly. Sources: Mayo Clinic, Coping with Lupus; by Robert H. Phillips, Ph.D., Florida Hospitals. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: lodo4ka Submitted by: snymrik Submitted by: barrycmster Submitted by: Eugene Submitted by: Ann Elisabeth Submitted by: Kevin Submitted by: William Submitted by: Greg Guepy Submitted by: Mark Submitted by: Michael Pollitt Click here to see more comments. 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