September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. The James R. Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation will host its 18th annual Sickle Cell Walk to commemorate the month on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at 8 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The address is 2300 Greene St., Columbia, SC.
Sickle Cell Disease is one of 11 severe chronic diseases affecting children in South Carolina. The annual Sickle Cell Walk is a community-driven event that brings together people from all walks of life to bring awareness to this disease.
The theme for this year’s
walk is “Break the Silence: Speak up for Sickle Cell”.
- L. Oveta Glover, president of the Columbia Branch of the NAACP, will serve as the 2024 Walk Ambassador. Glover is a long-standing advocate, volunteer and supporter of the mission and goals of the JRC Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation.
The Walk is the vision of Peggy Funny, whose daughter is affected by Sickle Cell Disease.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the James R. Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides educational awards to college-bound high school graduates and enrolled
college students living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Participants are able to register for the event online at strictlyrunning.com. The registration fee is $25 per person and includes a commemorative t-shirt, which can be mailed to participants or picked up in person at the Foundation office. A $5 discount code: WARRIOR, is also available online. Schedule of Events:
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7:30 a.m.: On-site registration
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8 a.m.: Opening Ceremonies
- 8:30 a.m.: Walk Begins
For more information, call Deputy Director Yvonne Donald at (803) 447-8600.
