On September 27, the alopecia areata community united for the Walk For AlopeciaTM Presented by Pfizer, coming together at 25 official Walk sites nationwide and in more than 85 neighborhoods as Walk Where You Are teams to shine a bright light on alopecia areata and empower each other. Launched only three years ago, the Walk For Alopecia quickly developed into a powerful movement, building awareness, connection, hope, and joy for those affected by this autoimmune disease. Today, the Walk For Alopecia is the world’s largest fundraising and awareness campaign for alopecia areata. NAAF is proud to announce that the Walk For Alopecia exceeded its $1.2M fundraising goal. Thanks to the generosity of our walkers, donors, team captains, site leaders, committee members, and sponsors, the Walk For Alopecia has raised $1,265,000 and counting. The Walk For Alopecia hosted a record-breaking 4,461 registered walkers. “Congratulations and thank you to the alopecia areata community for making this year’s Walk For Alopecia such a tremendous success,” shared Nicole Friedland, NAAF President & CEO. “We were positively overwhelmed by the thousands of individuals nationwide who joined together to do something about alopecia areata. Together, you provided hope and connection for so many families and showed the world that it’s not just hair!” Since its inaugural year, the Walk For Alopecia has raised nearly $3M to advance NAAF’s mission to drive research, support the community, and educate the public about alopecia areata. This year, NAAF welcomed Philadelphia as its second Flagship Site. Led by NAAF Board Member Maureen McGettigan and her co-chair Melissa Dogonniuck, the site hosted over 350 walkers who raised more than $85,000. Nicole shared, “The success of the Philadelphia Flagship Site emphasizes the enthusiasm of our community to create awareness and support one another, as well as how much the Walk For Alopecia has grown in just three years. We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved for all of their support.” Bobby and Lauren Nadeau hosted a community Walk For Alopecia site in Boston, MA, for the first time this year in honor of their son, Matty, who was diagnosed with alopecia areata at age three, and has since lost all of his hair. Their goal was to build a community for Matty and all of those living with this autoimmune disease. And they did just that! Nearly 400 walkers and local sponsors rallied together and raised over $65,000. As well, they gained significant media coverage, raising awareness and educating the public. Funds raised from the Walk For Alopecia have enabled NAAF to develop many new resources, such as the Treatment & Insurance Navigation Toolkit, a multimedia online resource for individuals living with this autoimmune disease and their caregivers, as well as drive research to develop more accessible treatments. Thank you to our sponsors— National Presenting Sponsor: Pfizer Shining Bright National Sponsor: Sun Pharma National Gold Sponsors: Lilly, RBC Capital Markets National Silver Sponsors: AbbVie, EPGD Business Law, Novartis Congratulations to our nationwide Top Fundraising Teams: Team Brynn, Zona Squad, and Vince Rocks…Rocks! Congratulations to our nationwide Top Fundraisers: Emma Baker, Lorri Murk, and Harrison Goldberg. There is still time to donate to the Walk For Alopecia to increase our impact for the nearly 7 million Americans affected by alopecia areata. Donate or learn more here.
