Care Walk 2012 is Coming on May 6
February 6, 2012 – Get out your calendars open up your eCalendars – and mark Sunday, May 6 for CAF’s Care Walk 2012!
For more details, including how to set up your own Care Walk fund raising page, go to
or contact Nathalia Perozo,
or (212) 279-8090.
List of organized Care Walk locations is here.
CAF’s Care Walk is planned as a way to bring together the thalassemia community and its supporters around the country. Rather than hold one huge walk in one location, which many people would have a difficult time reaching, we ask our friends and supporters to plan their own Walk. It can be as simple as one person walking around his neighborhood or a hundred people walking through a nearby park.
Last year, our first Care Walk was a huge success, raising almost $200,000 for CAF’s programs while creating a sense of excitement in the thalassemia community. (This year’s goal: $350,000!) More than 2,000 people across the country participated as a way of saying “No one with thalassemia is alone!”
“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) organized a Care Walk to connect patients and families and spread awareness of thalassemia to the public,” says Liz Morasso, Social Worker at CHLA, of last year’s event. “With such a geographically diverse population, we found that many of our patients had never met. We also found that many people in the community, even members of patient’s family, were unfamiliar with thalassemia and how it affects those they love every day.”
Bloomsburg Care Walkers in 2011
“The Care Walk was so fun and touching at the same time,” says Liz. “I was overwhelmed by the support of this cause from patients, families, friends, and the community. I loved the enthusiasm each team shared in their signs, cheers and high fives. Patients and families alike connected at the resource and snack tables and provided each other with support they may not have been able to easily access before this experience.
“We left Care Walk motivated to continue working towards a cure, provide psychosocial support, and assist our families in becoming advocates for themselves and the thal community. These creative methods also lent a voice to all those affected by thalassemia, both directly and indirectly, living and deceased. The Care Walk provided people that space.”
All ages can participate in a Care Walk
For Tara Maziarz, organizing a Care Walk near her college was a way to honor her fiancée, Ian Wiles, who had recently passed away from complications related to thalassemia. “I absolutely loved the Care Walk experience,” she says. “I couldn’t think of a more uplifting and helpful way to remember Ian. It got me through a lot of hard times, and I am thankful to my entire Public Relations class for helping out. There was a real sense of unity between everyone and a positive attitudes towards helping a great cause.”
Ro Malik, whose sister has thalassemia, helped organize a Chicago area Care Walk to become more involved with CAF and because “there seems to be a larger support network on the east and west coasts but not as much in the midwest. My sister is such an inspiration to me. I wanted to raise awareness of thalassemia in Chicago and bring other people and families together who are affected by this rare blood disorder.
“I thought the Care Walk Experience was wonderful. One of the fathers reached out to the local NBC station and secured us a spot on the morning news to promote the Care Walk.”
Ro especially liked the fact that the Care Walk brought family and friends together to provide a sense of community. “One of the nurses from Children’s Memorial Hospital commented, ‘I have been to a number of events in Chicago over the years that support thalassemia but this is by far the best turn out we have ever seen.’ I cannot tell you how happy I was to hear that.”
Whether walking alone or with 100 other people, participating in a Care Walk is an unforgettable experience. Make sure you are part of that experience this year. For more details, go to www.tinyurl.com/CareWalk2012 or contact Nathalia Perozo,n.perozo@cooleysanemia.org or (212) 279-8090.
