FROM STAFF REPORTS

HOOVER – The Epilepsy Foundation of Alabama will be holding the Walk to END EPILEPSY in Birmingham on Nov. 2 at Railroad Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Walk to END EPILEPSY brings the community together to affect change through care, advocacy, research and education. More than more than 300 people are anticipated to support the Epilepsy Foundation’s fundraising efforts and help raise awareness about epilepsy.

“We are excited to hold the Walk to END EPILEPSY in Birmingham to further engage and mobilize the community to be part of the fight to END EPILEPSY,” said Sara Franklin, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Alabama, which is based in Hoover. “The Walk to END EPILEPSY is the only Walk to END EPILEPSY in Alabama and serves as our largest fundraiser of the year. This annual event strengthens our current efforts and generates funding to help families affected by epilepsy and seizures in our local community.”

Over a lifetime, one in 10 people will have a seizure, and one in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy. There are more people living with epilepsy than with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, combined. Yet, epilepsy receives one-tenth the research funding than any one of those disorders.

Everyone who participates in the Walk to END EPILEPSY—by leading a team, making a donation, sponsoring a person with epilepsy or volunteering—helps fund research and awareness, training programs on seizure recognition and first aid, as well as improved access to specialty and supportive care. The Walk to END EPILEPSY in Alabama is expected to raise $50,000 to help the more than 54,000 people in Alabama living with epilepsy and seizures.

To sign up or for more information about the Walk to END EPILEPSY in Birmingham, please visit WalktoEndEpilepsy.org/birmingham. Contact Sara Franklin at sfranklin@efa.org for information about sponsorship opportunities.