Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma at the Scleroderma Foundation/Tri-State, Inc. Chapter's Annual Walk

ALBANY, NY (06/08/2012)(readMedia)-- The Scleroderma Foundation / Tri-State, Inc. Chapter will be holding its annual Albany, N.Y. Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma walk at Crossgates Mall on Sunday, June 10, 2012. Registration and check-in start at 6:30 p.m. and the walk begins at 7:30 p.m.

Join Albany walk leaders, June Bender and Lori Alkinburg, along with patients, families and friends as they gather for an encouraging event that honors scleroderma survivors and lifts the spirits of those who support them. Congressman Paul Tonko will be our featured guest of honor. Food, raffles, entertainment and an ideal setting make this a great day.

Participants can register online at http://walks.SclerodermaTriState.org before the event. The fee is $20 for participants 16 years and older, $5 for children ages 5 to 15, and children under 5 years are free. You also can mail the registration form to the Tri-State office to complete your event registration. Day of event registration is $25 for participants 16 years and older; and $5 for children ages 5 to 15; children younger than 5 are free. All pre-registered participants receive a T-shirt. Awards are given to the individual and team that raise the most money.

The Albany walk helps build awareness and raise funds for contending with this devastating disease and reinforces the message of Scleroderma Awareness Month, which occurs in June. This year, participants are encouraged to create a video message about "Why I Walk" and share it on the Scleroderma Foundation's recently developed www.WalkForCure.org website.

Tri-State Executive Director Jay Peak notes that, "The goal of each video is to increase scleroderma awareness and provide hope and inspiration to the entire scleroderma community. With our relatively rare disease, it is difficult to adequately and effectively tell the whole story. Sharing videos virtually enables those affected to be heard and seen by a much broader audience."

The Tri-State Chapter provides support to help scleroderma patients and their families cope with the disease through support groups, physician and peer referrals and educational forums. The Tri-State Chapter also advocates for and funds medical research aimed at finding new and better treatments and ultimately, a cure for scleroderma.

For more information on scleroderma and the Scleroderma Foundation / Tri-State, Inc. Chapter, call (800) 867-0885 or visit www.SclerodermaTriState.org. You can also find us on Facebook and YouTube.

Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma is sponsored in part by Diamond Sponsor, Bethpage Federal Credit Union; National Gold Sponsor, Actelion Pharmaceuticals; and gold sponsors Helen Polenz and Arizona Beverage Co.

Editor's note:

Prior to the walk, interviews with local patients can be arranged. Call Executive Director Jay Peak at (800) 867-0885.

About Scleroderma

Scleroderma [sklair-uh-DERM-uh] is a chronic, often progressive, autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body. With no known cause, scleroderma is a painful, life altering disease that can be fatal. It can cause a thickening and tightening of the skin. In some cases, it causes serious damage to internal organs including the lungs, heart, kidneys, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. As scarring, or sclerosis of these organs and organ systems progress, they work less effectively and can lead to organ failure and death. Some medications and treatments can help with certain symptoms, but there is no known cure for scleroderma.

The disease affects about 300,000 people across the U.S. In comparison, approximately the same numbers of people are affected by multiple sclerosis. There are an estimated 30,000 cases of scleroderma in Tri-State Chapter's New York, New Jersey and Connecticut service area.

About the Scleroderma Foundation / Tri-State Inc., Chapter

The Scleroderma Foundation/Tri-State Inc., Chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving New York, northern New Jersey and Connecticut. The organization helps scleroderma patients and their families cope with the disease through support group programs, educational forums, physician referrals and educational information such as articles, books and DVDs, available through our lending library and a growing number of videos online at www.sclerodermavideo.com. The chapter has a three-fold mission which is to promote the welfare of individuals and families affected by scleroderma, increase public awareness and support scleroderma research. More about the work and mission of the Tri-State Chapter can be found at www.SclerodermaTriState.org and keep up-to-date on events and other happenings on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SFTriState) and on Twitter (@sclerodermaTS).

About Walk for Cure

Walk for Cure is a grassroots movement to raise awareness of scleroderma and funds to support the mission of the Scleroderma Foundation. The Walk for Cure Video Campaign hopes to dramatically increase the public's awareness of scleroderma and provide an inspirational forum for those participating in Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma walks. For more information about Walk for Cure, visit www.WalkforCure.org or call (310) 287-0793. You also can find Walk for Cure on Facebook (www.facebook.com/walkforcure) and Twitter (@walkforcure).

About the Scleroderma Foundation

The Danvers, Mass.-based Scleroderma Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving the interests of people with scleroderma. It has a network of 23 chapters and 168 support groups nationwide that carry out its three-fold mission of support, education and research. The Scleroderma Foundation makes available at least $1 million in new research grants each year to find the cause and cure for scleroderma. More information about the Scleroderma Foundation can be found at www.scleroderma.org or by calling 800-722-HOPE (4673). You also can find the Foundation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sclerodermaus) and Twitter (@scleroderma).

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