Raising Sickle Cell Awareness 1 Mile At A Time! Annual 1K/5K Walk, Jog or Run for a Cure!

What? Grab your family and friends and Lets get active and Raise Sickle Cell Awareness One-Mile at a Time! The Sickle Cell Disease Association of Illinois (SCDAI) invites you, your family & friends to join us in raising awareness and funding for individuals in Illinois dealing with the daily struggles of Sickle Cell Disease! Register to receive your 2026 event t-shirt. We will begin registration and FUNdraising now through SEPTEMBER which is Sickle Cell Awareness month . Please help us by getting the word out and gearing up to either walk, jog or run in support of individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease while honoring individuals who have passed away from the Disease! Why? Sickle Cell Disease affects more than 100,000 Americans of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds, including, Africans, Arabians, Israelis, Greeks, Italians, Hispanics, and Turks. Chances are that many of us know someone who has sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait, or an abnormal hemoglobin trait. Sickle Cell disease (anemia) is diagnosed at birth and caused by genetically inheriting two sickle genes, one from each parent. Individuals with Sickle Cell disease have sickle hemoglobin that makes the red blood cells rigid and causes some red blood cells to take on a sickle shape. Some symptoms associated with Sickle Cell disease are: anemia, infections, severe pain episodes, strokes, growth and puberty delay, and acute chest syndrome. The average lifespan for persons with sickle disease isn’t known, but it has improved due to increased treatment therapies. Bone marrow transplants are a cure for Sickle Cell Anemia, but every individual with Sickle Cell Anemia is not a candidate for this procedure. Who? For 55 years, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Illinois has worked in the community to improve the quality of life for individuals with sickle cell disease and their families. Our Annual 1K/5K Walk, Jog or Run for a Cure is our largest fundraising event of the year. Typically we hav