The 9th Annual Cooley’s Anemia Foundation Care Walk Will Show How Much the DMV Cares

PRESS RELEASE

April 22, 2019

For Immediate Release

Pete Kimbis
(240) 780-2665
[email protected]

The 9th Annual Cooley’s Anemia Foundation Care Walk Will Show How Much the DMV Cares

Unique Walk-a-Thon Benefits Children with the Inherited Blood Disorder: Thalassemia

Where: Caroline Freeland Park, 7200 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814
When: Sunday, May 5, 2019 from 10am-1pm

Entertainment by: Wammie award winning Eli Lev, and chart topping international singer/songwriter Emma G

The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF), the country’s only non-profit organization dedicated solely to battling the fatal genetic blood disorder thalassemia, has announced that the annual CAF Care Walk walk-a-thon will be held at Caroline Freeland Park on Sunday, May 5, 2019 from 10am-1pm.

Last year, the CAF Care Walk had more than 2,000 participants in different cities across the United States, raising over $310,000 for the Foundation’s medical research, patient service and public education programs. Unlike a traditional walk-a-thon, in which thousands of people gather in one place for a concentrated mass event, the CAF Care Walk includes several different events held across the nation. Each individual who registers for the CAF Care Walk can decide where he or she wants to walk and for how long.

The DMV Care Walk at Caroline Freeland Park will provide a unique opportunity for those in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area to learn more about the genetic blood disorder thalassemia. Event speakers include individuals with thalassemia who will give personal perspectives on how this blood disorder affects them and what community support means to them. The Care Walk event will also feature musical guests, fun activities for children, and food. All are welcome to this free event, and donations are welcome.

Children born with the severe form of thalassemia require lifelong blood transfusions as often as every two weeks, starting in infancy. They must also undergo a difficult daily treatment which for many involves sticking a needle in the stomach and pumping in a drug for 8-12 hours every night. In addition, complications such as diabetes, osteoporosis (beginning in teenage years), and pulmonary hypertension are common. Although there have been promising advances in gene therapy in recent years, a cure is still being sought.

Individuals who wish to participate in the Care Walk at Caroline Freeland Park on May 05, 2019 should register at www.bit.ly/carewalk2019 and select team “DC/MD/VA Baltimore.” Individuals interested in learning more about Care Walks, or who wish to register for a Walk of their own should contact CAF at (212) 279-8090 x 208 or email [email protected], or visit bit.ly/carewalk2019 to access additional information.

About the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation

Founded in 1954, the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is dedicated to serving people afflicted with various forms of thalassemia, most notably the major form of this genetic blood disease, Cooley’s anemia/thalassemia major. Our mission is advancing the treatment and cure for this fatal blood disease, enhancing the quality of life of patients and educating the medical profession, trait carriers and the public about Cooley’s anemia/thalassemia major. CAF is a significant funder of medical research specifically related to thalassemia and its complications, contributing in this way to improving care and finding a cure.