Friday, October 17, 2008
AZ Walk Across America for Conquer Chiari & Syringo
We started the day greeted by the sunrise and sounds of nature! Our first Walk Across America for Chiari & Syringo was here!!
Our goal was to have 100 people at the walk and build awareness & education in the community about SM/CM. We were blessed with 350+ walkers and 53 corporate sponsors from the medical & local community. Unbelievable!! What an honor to be part of such an exciting day!
We started with a motivational testimonial from Chris Dugan. His energy and sense of humor made the speech and poignant words touch all. He has a spirit of determination and positive attitude that forge ahead, clearly illustrating to others how to overcome burdens while setting goals.
During the celebration we had exciting news to share. Our AZ Syringo Chiari Support Group was presented with a Senate Proclamation declaring the month of September as Chiari and Syringomyelia awareness month! It is very exciting to read "Now, therefore, I Jack Harper, Arizona State Senator, do hereby designate each September as Chiari and Syringomyelia Awareness Month." Our deepest gratitude to Senator Harper!! The proclamation picture is of just a few of us from our group who contributed efforts for the walk and proclamation.
The celebration included a raffle, happy winners and massages! We finished the walk and celebration listening to the wonderful music of Jay Soto. Jay was accompanied by Steve Culp on Keys, Brian Donaldson on Sax, David Small on Drums and Tony Contreras on Bass. Our thanks to these musicians for donating their time and sleep with an early morning performance!! It was the perfect end to a wonderful day!
Our sincere appreciation goes to Jim Carlson and staff at the Desert Botanical Gardens!! We had a wonderful walk that went through the gardens and Papago Park. The walk path was beautiful!
The stories shared and friendships made, touched hearts, and will continue for years to come. These connections and bonds made the day perfect!
Thank you everyone for all your hard work, determination and commitment to making the first Walk Across America a soaring success!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
What an experience to participate in, walking, talking, meeting, greeting surrounded by friends and family, all with one goal! We Will Win, and bring awareness to our communities, and break out from the "Orphan Disease/ Conditions tag. I toast our organizers and volunteers that worked so long and hard to make our first AZ Walk Across America a success!
A fellow supporter, Blondie
Post a Comment