Care Walk Spotlight: Team Ficarra
This week’s spotlight is all about Team Ficarra. Talk about longevity – the Ficarra family is one of the founders of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation!
Marianne Ficarra, Captain of this Care Walk team, tells us her husband Bob’s family started CAF in the back of their butcher shop in Brooklyn, NY in the 1950s. Their goal has been to find the cure for Cooley’s Anemia ever since.
Team Ficarra had their first Care Walk in 2011, when the Foundation started the program. They walk in Spring Lake, NJ and reach out to their personal network to support the Walk. Family, friends and neighbors join them for a beautiful walk on the Spring Lake boardwalk and lunch afterward.
Marianne says they accommodate the walkers by finding a day and time that works for everyone, even if it means walking on a day different from the official event date (Team Ficarra’s walk is scheduled for August 13). This is the beauty of the program – dates, times and locations are flexible depending on individual team needs.
We encourage everyone to start a team, find a date that works for them, and get out and walk. Every step you take brings us one step closer to a cure!
Marianne’s advice to new Care Walk Captains: “Provide water. It gets hot out there!”
CAF thanks Team Ficarra for their dedication!
Inspired to start your own team?
We are here to give you ideas and support. Interested in joining one of our Care Walk teams? Contact us at communications@thalassemia.org for more info.
September 18th will be here before you know it – join a team or donate today!