November is finally here and with its arrival comes cooler temperatures, autumn scenery, and most importantly, Alpha-1 Awareness Month! On November 1st the #Alpha1Awareness campaign successfully launched, revealing a look and updated awareness resources on the Alpha-1 Foundation website. By visiting www.alpha1.org/awareness, anyone and everyone can participate by downloading our free digital and printable toolkits, sharing #Alpha1Awareness content on social media, and registering for the Virtual Walk 2021 and the 2021 Fall Virtual Alpha-1 Lobby Day.
Over 500 individuals kicked off Alpha-1 Awareness Month by participating in this year’s Virtual Walk. This fun and interactive event allows everyone to walk anywhere, anytime during the month of November for Alpha-1 Awareness. Registrants can join a team, form a team, or walk individually to support the mission of finding a cure for Alpha-1 and help raise funds for research and related programs. Whether it’s around your neighborhood, local park, or dining room table, the Alpha-1 Foundation encourages the community to get up and get moving for Alpha-1! #A1FVW21
Virtual Walk Week #1 was a huge success! With the weather cooling down, purple t-shirts and “surprise Virtual Walk Boxes” began arriving on doorsteps around the U.S. and the Alpha-1 spirit is at an all-time high! Congratulations to the Stephens family (Team Harrison) for putting together their annual Virtual Walk this past weekend! TEAM HARRISON recruited 45 participants and has raised over $3,100 to help find the cure for Alpha-1.
Hillary, team captain, says, “Alpha-1 Awareness Month means everything to us! It has become a very special month for our family! With the help from the Alpha-1 Foundation in setting up the Virtual Walk for us, we are easily able to spread awareness.”
Other notable walks include Team “DEBI MOCAS MEMORIAL TEAM” walking in memory of their mother and to date has raised over $1,100 to honor their mom’s birthday, 11/01/53. And finally, a special shout out to all the walkers from around the country that have taken on the challenge and are walking every day during November! Keep going, you are an inspiration to the entire community. Please send your photos to Irene Guerrero at iguerrero@alpha1.org.
Remember to join us on Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 PM ET. on Zoom for our second Virtual Walk pep-rally: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88909510454?pwd=WUZ4ZTJlOVFXcTgrV3BnMVJaRXBBUT09
On Saturday, November 6th, Alphas, family members, friends, and healthcare professionals joined together for the last Alpha-1 Education Day of the year sporting their purple apparel and the official awareness Zoom background. The virtual event featured a Foundation Update by the new President & CEO Scott Santarella, several informative presentations by Alpha-1 specialists Dr. Clark, Dr. Goldklang, Dr. Sandhaus, and Dr. Strange, and an engaging question and answer session with the Alpha-1 community.
Although Alpha-1 Awareness Month is already in full swing, there are plenty of ways to still get involved. The Foundation is still registering advocates for the 2021 Fall Virtual Alpha-1 Lobby Day happening tomorrow, Wednesday, November 10th. Those interested in making their voices heard in front of key legislators and advocating for important issues on behalf of the Alpha-1 community can register here or contact Jeanne Kushner at jkushner@alpha1.org.
Alphas and their loved ones can also raise Alpha-1 Awareness by requesting from their state governors and city mayors a proclamation officially designating November as Alpha-1 Awareness Month. On November 5th, Gainesville, Florida was added by Deb Labud to the growing list of county/city participants. The latest sample proclamation letter, proclamation wording, and recent proclamations can all be found on the Alpha-1 Awareness page.
