Alliance for Lupus NYC Walk With Us to Cure Lupus First Lupus Walk In History To Raise $1-Million

$1 Million for Lupus Research

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A milestone in lupus research was met this weekend!  On Saturday, October 22^nd the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) held its 8th annual New York City Walk with Us to Cure Lupus.  The beautiful weather at Battery Park was matched by the enthusiasm of the nearly 3000 walkers in attendance to walk for the cure.  The walkers were joined by NYC master of ceremonies, My9 news anchor Brenda Blackmon, ALR Chairman Robert Wood Johnson IV, and Walk Co-chairs Frank Bisignano, Chief Administrative Officer JPMorgan Chase; Daniel LaVecchia, Executive Managing Director BGC Partners; and Mark Wagar, President & CEO Empire BlueCross BlueShield.  Spoken poet Shanelle Gabriel inspired the crowd with "Vanity", her moving personal account of life with lupus. 

The ALR NYC Walk with Us to Cure Lupus is the first lupus Walk in history to raise $1 million!  That's $1 million to fund research supporting the ALR's mission of finding better treatments and ultimately preventing and curing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus).   Not only did the ALR surpass the Walk's initial goal of $900,000; we made history.  The Walk provided a wonderful opportunity to give a voice to people affected by lupus.  We thank everyone for their support and unwavering commitment.

The Walk was supported by corporate sponsors Johnson & Johnson, Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Partners, JPMorgan Chase, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Trump Organization, KPF Associates, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Human Genome Sciences, Pfizer, Montefiore The University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bank of New York Mellon, KPMG, Verizon, Kraft Foods, CBS Sports, and Turner Construction Company.

About Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect the joints and almost every major organ in the body, including the heart, kidneys, skin, lungs, and brain.  As many as 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus which affects mostly women during childbearing years, though men and children can have the disease.  Lupus is three times more common in African-American women than in Caucasian women and is also more prevalent in women of Latino, Asian, and Native American descent.

About the ALR
The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) is a national voluntary health organization dedicated to finding better treatments and ultimately preventing and curing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus), a debilitating autoimmune disease.  The organization is based in New York City and chaired by Robert Wood Johnson IV, a member of the founding family of Johnson & Johnson.  Since its founding in 1999, the ALR has given more money to lupus research than any non-governmental agency in the world.  The board of directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs, allowing one hundred percent of all donations from the public, and the proceeds of our signature grassroots fundraising program, Walk with Us to Cure Lupus, go directly to support research programs.  The organization has awarded more than $6 million in grants this year and, since 1999, has dedicated over $67 million to understanding the disease. More information can be found at www.lupusresearch.org.

SOURCE Alliance for Lupus Research