Category: Health & Fitness
San Antonio Walk with us to Cure Lupus
| May 2, 2009 | Posted by Angela under Community Involvement, Family Stuff, Health & Fitness |
Today was the “Walk with us to Cure Lupus” event at Brackenridge Park. My family had a team, Team SOL (Stomp Out Lupus), and we set a goal to raise $3000. My mom was the team captain and she got our team to raise $3688 as of today. The overall goal for San Antonio was $12,500 and we raised $22,656. Phenomenal! We are raising money for the Alliance for Lupus Research. Lupus is a disease that it difficult to diagnos and the medications to treat Lupus are very strong. We want to learn more about this disease so we can find better treatment methods as well as create awareness. We are doing this in memory of my Aunt RoseAnn who lost her life to Lupus at the age of 27 years. We also have members of our family on both sides that suffer from Lupus.
My Aunt Ruby helped put the event together and she did such an amazing job. We had such a great turn out. There was a balloon arch, Ronald McDonald appearance, drinks and snacks and a t-shirt contest. The weather was also perfect. It is so moving to see family and friends come together for a common purpose.
I really like Brackenridge park. It’s well kept and it is right in the heart of San Antonio. My only complaint? There are no recycling bins! We had tons of plastic bottles left over and the only option was a trash can. This is LAME San Antonio! So as a citizen of San Antonio, I am going to be contacting the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and inquire about putting recycling bins at Brackenridge. I will update you with my findings.
Finding the Cause and Better Treatments of Lupus
| April 3, 2009 | Posted by Angela under Community Involvement, Health & Fitness |
My Aunt RoseAnn was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) when she was just 14 years old. She battled the disease for 10 years before she passed away at only 27. She was such a happy person – energetic, optimistic, full of laughter – that you would have never known that she was suffering, but she was.This is a photo of her at her wedding. She actually was very sick on this day but she insisted on having the wedding. She passed away months later on New Year’s Eve 1994.
Other members of my family also suffer from different forms of Lupus.
Lupus is a chronic, potentially devastating autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against the body’s own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
There is still not a known cause of Lupus which makes it difficult to treat. All the drugs used to fight the disease usually make the individual extremely sick. Lupus affects 1.5 million Americans, more than patients with AIDS, SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA, CEREBRAL PALSY, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, AND CYSTIC FIBROSIS combined! Thousands of Americans die from Lupus ever year. The scary thing is that it is extremely difficult to diagnose because it mimics other illnesses.
The Alliance for Lupus Research needs donations to further their research in discovering the cause of this disease and finding more effective forms of treatment.
My mom is captain for our team SOL (Stomp Out Lupus) and has set a goal of $3000. There will be Walk with Us to Cure Lupus on Saturday, May 2nd at Brackenridge Park.
More Facts About Lupus
* Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.
* Lupus affects people of all ages, including children, but it most often strikes people when they are between the ages of 15 and 45. Nine out of ten people with lupus are women.
* Lupus is three times more common among African American women than among Caucasian women, and is also more
common in women of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent.
Join the Cause!
On Saturday, May 2nd, I will be participating in the 2009 San Antonio Walk with Us to Cure Lupus Walkathon. You can join me in the fight against lupus by making a pledge on my behalf, or becoming a member of my team and walking alongside me.
100% of the proceeds from the Walk will go to Lupus Research.
My Personal ID Number is TXS-40062
You can donate online on my personal page. If you decide to sponsor me by sending a check, please include this number in the memo line.
Send your check directly to the ALR office at 28 W. 44th Street, Suite 501, New York, NY 10036.
The Alliance for Lupus Research has initiated a nationwide Walk program that is designed to raise both awareness and dollars for the fight against lupus.
The Alliance for Lupus Research was founded in 1999 through the vision and commitment of Robert Wood Johnson IV and the support of the Arthritis Foundation. Since its inception, the ALR has committed more than $50 million to lupus research. Now we seek to raise unprecedented additional funds for lupus research through the Walk Program. Walk proceeds will enable us to support the work of well-established researchers currently working in the field and to attract bright and energetic new scientists to lupus research.
Beyond the Epic Run
| March 2, 2009 | Posted by Angela under Health & Fitness, Local Places & Events |
I had the pleasure of viewing the documentary film, Beyond the Epic Run, at the Bijou Crossroads last Thursday. I received a personal email from Annie with Jennings Public Relations & Advertising, who was promoting the film. They randomly found my blog and sent me an email with the details. So glad they did! I hadn’t heard of the film yet and the description sounded so interesting.
Serge and Nicole, a married couple, left their Switzerland home in February of 2000 to run around the world alone. I mean literally run around the world. Serge was on foot while Nicole followed on motorcycle. Serge was set off to run over 25,000 miles, on six continents and through 37 countries. It took them 5 years to complete their journey.
The film is an up close and personal view into their journey. They camped outdoors wherever they stopped. Serge was literally running around a marathon every 2 days. They ran into a war zone in Africa and had to take a detour. Right when they were planning on going through Iraq, 9/11 happened. They were advised to to take a detour. They caught malaria and almost died. Half way through their journey, the organization that was supporting them could no longer afford to support their cause. They were running to help children in poverty and that were in need. They ran into Hurricane Charly when in Miami. Serge’s mother passed away when they were in the Northeast USA. Everything seemed to go against them. Somehow, they found a power within themselves to continue their journey.
They met so many people from some many different cultures. One of my favorite scenes was when they ran into a family of 4. It was a man, his young wife and their 2 young children. They were on donkeys. All they had was the clothing on their backs and 2 live chickens. They had fled their village due to violence and they were literally living one day at a time with no place to call home.
Throughout the movie, you become more and more engaged. I was so touched and humbled by all their encounters. I cannot imagine doing what they did. Actually, I know I couldn’t. However, it does inspire you to do what you believe to be the unthinkable. Serge’s favorite comment is “Impossible is a stupid word.” He didn’t want to believe that he couldn’t do it. It takes an incredible amount of self confidence, faith and passion to do what he and his wife accomplished. I think a crucial part of this journey was their love for each other. That journey was not possible if they didn’t believe in each other. That bond was so important to their success and it just got stronger as they pushed on.
The film is being shown for free all across the USA. All they want to do is share their story with others in the hopes of inspiring people. That it definitely was. I hope that their message reaches more people than they thought was possible. Below is the trailer.
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