
Gainesville’s Depot Park came alive with excitement as 241 participants gathered for the 2nd annual Strides for Sickle Cell Walk in September. Proceeds from the event support Sickle Cell Warriors at the UF Health Streetlight program.
The goal of the event was to mobilize the community around sickle cell, bring valuable resources to patients, and raise money to provide specialized care for teenaged and young adult sickle cell patients.
“When we see our patients in the hospital, they are experiencing debilitating pain crises, so Strides for Sickle Cell was a way to come together outside of the hospital environment and show love and support,” said Emily Marchi, M.S., director of the Streetlight program.
The Streetlight program focuses on young patients aged 13 to 30 living with chronic diseases, which includes sickle cell disease. Backed by a dedicated team of UF undergraduate volunteers, the program aims to build patient resilience and identity through the power of friendship and shared social support.
Following the walk, a vendor fair featured Gator athletes who handed out posters, pharmaceutical companies that offered education about new therapies for sickle cell, and UF Health providers who presented information on support groups and answered questions about patient care.
The event also engaged the community with an art piece that showcased the words, “You are Heard,” and invited people to write their hopes for the future of sickle cell disease.
A heartfelt thank you to event sponsors: Bluebird Bio, Vertex Pharma, NMDP, and Medunik USA.
Streetlight works with patients to collaborate on projects to use the funds that are raised.
“We include our patients in our disease-specific programming to learn the best ways they want to be supported,” Marchi said.
Last year, they created care packages and printed books featuring artwork and biographies from their patients.
According to Streetlight, living with sickle cell disease can be tough, with frequent hospitalizations and challenges that impact school, work, and daily life. “Many of our patients express that the world does not know or understand sickle cell, as people cannot see how much pain they experience on the outside. Our Streetlight Sickle Cell Warriors program works to shed light on the strength and resilience of our Warriors and uplift their lived experiences in a supportive community,” Marchi said. “We are grateful to everyone who participated in the Strides for Sickle Cell event, helping us to uplift our warriors and restore dignity in any way we can.”








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