Outdoor Elegance Hosts a Charitable Event For a Not-So-Elegant Disease

July 31, 2010

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Sharon and Doug Sanicola, right, with the Walk for Lupus Now's executive team.

Outdoor Elegance in La Verne is Southern California’s most elegant showroom to shop and enjoy outdoor patio furnishings. On Thursday, after closing hours, the classy showroom opened its doors to help fight Lupus, a not-so-elegant autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system in the body.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million people worldwide have a form of lupus.

Per usual, Outdoor Elegance owners Doug and Sharon Sanicola along with General Manager Tom Kay and the rest of their professional staff hosted a first-class affair to help raise awareness about Lupus and to recruit participants for the Lupus Foundation of America’s Walk for Lupus Now on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 at Exposition Park.

Adding elegance to evening were these Walk for Lupus Now supporters.

Adding elegance to the splendid evening were these Walk for Lupus Now supporters.

“Lupus is a disease you don’t always hear about, but it’s no less devastating to all those who must struggle with its symptoms and complications every day,” said Kay.

Christi Rauth, National Walk Manager for Walk for Lupus Now, shared how the L.A. walk, entering its fourth year, has become a galvanizing event in the community, supported by friends, family and team members

“We’re so grateful and appreciative of sponsors like Outdoor Elegance, whose enthusiasm is second to none in helping us generate and build support for this year’s walk,” Rauth said.

As always, Outdoor Elegance was the perfect host for the Walk for Lupus Now charitable event.

Even if you were unable to attend the La Verne kickoff event, you can still participate in this year’s walk. Simply go on www.lupus.org/walk to register. On the site, you can select a team captain and register your team online, as well as invite people to join your team. You can also establish a fundraising page online as well.

Check in for the Sept. 25 walk is 9 a.m. Start time is 10 a.m.

For more information about getting your club, school or company to participate, contact Ms. Rauth at rauth@lupus.org or call (202) 510-897.

Outdoor Elegance owner Doug Sanicola handed off the barbecuing chores to Anthony, who reps the Big Green Egg.

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Below are listed some of the symptoms lupus sufferers experience. If you have had any of the symptoms listed below, especially if you have had several, talk to your doctor about lupus. Early diagnosis and proper medical care are the best ways to manage lupus:

Have you ever had achy, painful, or swollen joints for more than three months?
Have your fingers or toes ever become red or blue or felt numb, or painful?
Have you ever had sores in your mouth or nose that lasted more than five days, or sores on your skin that would not heal?
Have you ever been told you have anemia, a low white blood cell count, or a low platelet count?
Have you ever had redness or rash in the shape of a butterfly across your nose and cheeks?
Have you ever had a fever over 100 degrees F for more than a few days?
Has the sun ever given you a rash that is not sunburn?
Have you ever had chest pain while taking deep breaths?
Have you ever had protein in your urine or swelling in your legs and ankles on both sides, and at the same time?
Have you ever felt persistent, extreme fatigue and weakness for days or weeks at a time, even after plenty of sleep?
Have you ever had a seizure, blood clot, heart attack, stroke, miscarriage, or unexplained confusion that lasts for more than an hour?
Have you ever had sudden, unexplained hair loss?