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Charlie’s Angels Campaign Touches the Lives of Local Children

Milwaukee Bucks Charlie Villanueva continues to meet with children with alopecia areata before road games in an effort to improve their self-esteem

SAN RAFAEL, Calif- <<Date of Game>> will mark a special day for over <<# of Individuals Coming>>  individuals, including children with alopecia areata and their family members, who are coming to <<Stadium/Arena Name>> to give an appreciative welcome to Charlie Villanueva. During a pre-game Meet & Greet, children from all over the area will get a once in a lifetime chance to meet and talk with their role model. As the Spokesperson behind the Charlie’s Angels Alopecia Areata Awareness Project, Charlie has been able to touch the lives and affect the confidence of children across the Unites States and Canada for the second consecutive season. His talent gives kids hope; his success gives individuals with alopecia areata motivation to achieve.

The Charlie’s Angels Campaign, which was unveiled in 2005 during Charlie Villanueva’s rookie season with the Toronto Raptors, gives young children with alopeciaareata the chance to meet their role model and boost their outlook on their own experience with the autoimmune disease. Since the program’s inception, Charlie has met with over 2000 children across the country and Canada. And his dedication to this causehas impressed more than those who attended his meet & greets; in March, 2006, the NBA recognized his efforts by giving him the prestigious league’s Community Assist Award for the month of February. He also received the Community MVP award by the Toronto Raptors in October, 2005 and again in November, 2005. Though it may have taken his impressive participation in NCAA College Basketball to make the general public aware of his alopecia areata, the disease has played a role in the life of Villanueva and those close to him since age 10, when he was initially diagnosed. Another teenager may have felt awkward, but as Charlie states, “I was always a freak of nature-big hands, big feet, towering over everyone. If there was any 13 year old that could deal with this condition, it was me.”

Dealing with this condition is an understatement. Gaining recognition as a high school athlete at Blair Academy in New Jersey, Villanueva went on to have a pivotal role in the University of Connecticut’s legacy under Coach Jim Calhoun. His determination now lies in not only becoming a NBA standout, but also in helping educate the public about alopecia areata. Fortunately for Charlie, the uniqueness of his appearance has worked well in his line of work, as a professional in a sport where most teammates and competitors choose to be bald. However, he will never forget what he went through as a teenager, and therefore can relate to, and advocate for, the young and old individuals affected by the social, emotional and physical challenges of the autoimmune disease.

Alopecia (AL-OH-PEE-SHA) areata (AIR-EE-AH-TAH) is an autoimmune disease that may result in total or partial loss of hair. Affecting over five million Americans, alopecia areatacurrently has no cure, and no treatment that works across the board. It occurs in both sexes and all races and ages, but young people are affected most often. Alopecia areata usually starts with one or more small, round patches on the scalp. In some people, the condition spreads until all of the hair on the scalp is lost (alopecia totalis) or even over the entire body, including the eyebrows and eyelashes (alopecia universalis). Charlie Villanueva has the rarest and most obvious form of the disease.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), headquartered in San Rafael, CA, supports research to find a cure or acceptable treatment for alopecia areata, supports those with the disease, and educates the public about alopecia areata. NAAF is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and a prestigious Scientific Advisory Council. Founded in 1981, NAAF is widely regarded as the largest, most influential and most representative foundation associated with alopecia areata.

We are proud to announce that Charlie Villanueva will continue to be active in the Charlie’s Angels Program will take place in conjunction with the NBA Season. To learn more about alopecia areataplease contact Lisa Butler at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation office at (415) 472-3780 or lisa@naaf.org.