New Haven walkathon, softball tourney to raise money for sickle cell awareness:
NEW HAVEN>> Three years ago Idella Bell lost her sister to sickle cell disease.
And she’s been walking to help raise funding for research to find a cure, because her son is also battling the disease.
“It’s tough dealing with it with him, said Bell, 47, whose son Marquet, 14, was born with the disease. “Before my sister passed she helped me through it with Marquet.”
“When my sister passed it hurt Marquet, because they were really close; that was his support and backbone,” she said.
Bell, along with others will join the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Southern Connecticut Inc. 24th annual walkathon in an effort to raise funding and awareness for the disease.
The walkathon is set for 9 a.m., Sept. 19 at East Rock Park, 41 Cold Spring St.
This year’s theme is ‘Sickle Cell Disease — Time for a Cure.’ The entry fee is $20 per person.
“Our hope is to generate participants for the walk,” said Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Southern Connecticut Inc. Executive Director Delores Williams-Edwards. “The walk helps us raise awareness and the funding helps support families in our community.”
Sickle cell disease is inherited from two parents with the trait and heavily affects African Americans. The sufferer’s red blood cells are crescent-shaped and lack hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. The result is weakness, anemia, jaundice, among other conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control website.
Sickle cell disease, also called sickle cell anemia, is not contagious. People with this condition experience pain and low blood count or anemia when the sickle-shaped cells try to flow through the body, the website said.
Some of the complications seen in sickle cell patients include stroke, acute chest syndrome and organ damage.
Greater New Haven Black Greek Letter Organizations have been in the forefront with supporting organizations such as SCDAA Southern CT Inc. through many of their social action programs, according to Edwards.
BGLOs are also known as the Divine Nine.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Epsilon Iota Iota chapter President Jeron Alston said participating in the walkathon is part of the fraternity’s health initiative.
“We’re still hoping for a cure and the walk gives us the opportunity to raise awareness as a health care issue,” said Alston, a certified public accountant.
“The disease disproportionately affects African Americans and as a race we still need to highlight that this is still a problem,” said Alston, whose chapter will celebrate 25 years of community service Nov. 16.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell disease affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Americans, occurring in about one out of every five African American births and one out of every 36,000 Hispanic American births.
“Each year we continue to think this is a cause we need to focus on,” said Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Theta Epsilon Omega chapter President Cathy R. Patton.
“We know people in our community that suffer from the disease; it’s a disease we really suffer from,” said Patton, who has been with the organization for over 25 years. “It’s important that we stay visible, so families know we’re concerned.”
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. New Haven Alumnae chapter First Vice President Karimah Webber said the organization’s national partnership with SCDAA encourages chapters throughout the country to seek local partnerships.
“Our public service is organized around a five-point thrust, (two of which are) physical and mental health,” said Webber.
“The walk will help raise funds for education, awareness and advocacy for sickle cell disease,” she said. “We’ve developed a team and have asked our members, family, friends and coworkers to join us.”
In conjunction with the walkathon, SCDAA Southern CT has partnered with the city Department of Public Safety and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Inc. Chi Omicron chapter for a Swing for Sickle Cell Softball Tournament.
The tournament will start at 9 a.m. at East Shore Park, located at Woodward Avenue and Tuttle Street. The entry fee is $300.
“The Department of Public safety has a community service group called team 911 which has participated in events like these to raise funds in the past,” said public safety Director Michael Briscoe, who helped secure the park for the tournament.
“People see the fire department and the police department, but rarely see or hear about public safety telecommunicators and their concerns of things happening in the community,” said Briscoe, who’s been a firefighter since 1999. “As a member of Chi Omicron, I thought it was a great way to give back to the community.”
Chi Omicron member and city Firefighter Aurelious Woolfolk Jr. said the idea of the tournament came from a softball tournament to raise funds for muscular dystrophy.
“I thought it would be a good idea to do something for sickle cell in New Haven to help raise money and awareness,” said Woolfolk.
“We fill the boot for muscular dystrophy as a department and every year there is a softball tournament in Maryland,” he said.
Woolfolk said the hope is to have the tournament expand each year.
According to Woolfolk there are five male teams and two co-ed teams.
The title sponsor of the event is Yale-New Haven Hospital along with other local and regional businesses, according to event organizers.
On-site registration for the walkathon begins at 8 a.m.
For more information about the softball tournament, call Woolfolk at 203-915-8123 and for the walkathon go to www.scdaaofsouthernct.org.
Reach Community Engagement Editor Shahid Abdul-Karim 203-680-9343.
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