Press
National Sickle Cell Walk Partnership Grows Stronger

(New York and Washington, D.C. - March 6, 2009) The National Sickle Cell Walk Partnership invites members of the community to join its effort to unify families, community organizations and healthcare providers across the U.S. by walking in solidarity on Saturday, September 19, 2009 to increasing public awareness of Sickle Cell Trait and Sickle Cell Disease as part of NATIONAL SICKE CELL AWARENESS MONTH in SEPTEMBER.
The National Sickle Cell Walk Partnership (NSCWP) is asking for civic/social organizations to Have A Heart For Sickle Cell and join the growing coalition of organizations walking to raise funds for support services, scholarships and research to find a cure for hemoglobin disorders. Your participation will strengthen Sickle Cell Advocacy nationwide.

The Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Patients Network initiated the Northeast Walk Partnership between New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 2007. Washington, DC and Maryland joined the Partnership in June of 2008 from there this grassroots collaborative grew into a national campaign of community organizations and families hosting walkathons and Virtual Walks© across the country on the same day.

Aside from standard walks in park, on track fields and in stadiums, NSCWP implemented the Virtual Walk©, an effective low cost way for interested parties to host walks when they do not have access to resources to host actual walks. Walk organizers partner with community gyms or health clubs and use treadmills to fulfill the 5 mile walk requirement. Pledges are solicited and collected in the same way as a regular walk. All contributions are tax-deductible, and proceeds benefit the National Sickle Cell Walk Partnership and participating member organizations. “When calling across the country, we found many organizations in jeopardy of closing. The Virtual Walks were created to give these organizations a real chance at raising money to stay open and serve their communities”, says Nichole King-Campbell, NSCWP co-founder.

For more information on Sickle Cell Disease visit http://www.sctpn.org". To join the National Sickle Cell Walk Partnership email us at membership@nationalsicklecellwalk.org

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