Lupus Springers 5K Race and Walk returns
The 26th Annual Norma Lampert Memorial Lupus Springers 5K Race and Walk to End Lupus returns Saturday at Mid-America Park to fundraise and raise awareness about Lupus.
After a couple years of the pandemic dampened the size of the walk, Lupus Foundation of Arkansas President Jamesetta Smith emphasized the importance of raising awareness for the disease.
“It did make it a smaller size,” she said. “Lupus patients are still interested and want to do whatever they can to try to make the word Lupus important to other people.”
Registration for the event starts at 7 a.m. Saturday in Commons Room 205 at National Park College. The race and walk then begin at 8 a.m. Registration for the event by today is $40 and after today is $45.
Despite the pandemic hurting in-person events, Smith still recognized the support the community had for Lupus awareness when people could not meet in large groups.
“I noticed during this pandemic our donations have not stopped coming in,” she said. “That means something to me because people are still interested in what Lupus can do and what it cannot do.”
Smith has been dealing with some health problems of her own but said volunteers and those around the community have been helping the foundation.
With the race in just a couple of
days, it is important that people stay interested in what Lupus is and what effects it can have on people.
“This is a serious disease,” Smith said. “We never know from one minute to another what Lupus can and will do. It’s unpredictable so you have to be prepared in whatever way it goes. This is something that can be hard for people.”
Smith said people are excited about the event and just to know one person cares about Lupus makes a difference.
“We have to keep the hope and the faith that you will be all right,” Smith said. “We need to have more people interested in this disease because it is unpredictable. You cannot give up and that’s the important thing.”
Those racing in the 5K must wear a black number and can win a trophy in the competition. Participants in the noncompetitive walking division must wear a red number and cannot win a trophy. However, all participants can win a drawing prize.
People who want to walk or run in the event can still sign up and should not be discouraged by previous errors in the signup process.
“People are signing up,” Smith said. “People are late in signing up because the website was not correct to register. But now it has been corrected.”
Smith was in awe when talking about how long the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas has been making a difference in the community.
“Since 1996 we’ve been doing business and we’re still here,” Smith said. “I never dreamed that we would still be an organization this long.”
Smith said Lupus patients want others to care about them and not to look at them as if they are lazy.
“You don’t understand the pain we have to go through,” she said. “We may look like we feel well, but that pain is still there. We cannot give up. We have to hold onto hope.”