It’s hard to believe that our 4th
Annual Walk to Answer TTP Together is just around the corner. On September 20,
2014, registered team and individual participants from around the globe will be
lacing up their sneakers to Make Strides to Save Lives in the Walk to Answer
TTP Together, walking in their communities for 2 hours to raise awareness and
funds for TTP support, education and life-changing research!
This year, we talked to team “Cindy Moes”
captain Melissa Angermeier about her participation in the 2014 Walk to Answer
TTP. We wanted to know why drove her to register and what she and her team of
walkers are doing to make this year’s Walk better than ever. Below is what she
told us in a phone conversation.
Why are you
walking in the 2014 Walk to Answer TTP Together?
“In March of 2011, our mother passed due to
complications of TTP. We have registered to walk the last 2 years, this is our
3rd year, because we want to do anything and everything we can to
help support the TTP community. We know that had our mom been a survivor of TTP,
she would have jumped right in and got involved with what ever she could to
help the TTP community.”
What do you do
to make your Walk special?
“We make our Walk fun and a family event!
Our mom was an exciting person, always positive, always upbeat, and very
energetic. So we make sure that our Walk captures her spirit by keeping it fun
and upbeat and all about the need to raise awareness and funds for TTP. We also
have a picnic after our Walk so that we can spend time together as a family,
and my sister and I give out little gifts of thanks to the other participants
for walking with us. One more way that we make our Walk special is by having a
balloon release at the end to commemorate the memory of our beloved mom!” (Note
from the Foundation: please make sure you check with your local bylaws before
planning a balloon release)
Is there anything you do before your Walk to
raise awareness?
“We pin up flyers where ever we are able to
and my sister and I try to attract the attention of local media, newspapers, radio
stations, etc. This year my sister and I are going to be on a local radio
station to talk about our walk. Here in South Dakota, not a lot of people know
about TTP and we really do try to get the word out however we can. We even
tried to book the local Blood Mobile to incorporate a blood donation into our
Walk. Unfortunately it was already booked, so we know for next year to call
early!”
As a 3 year participant in the Walk to
Answer TTP Together, I am sure you know about our awards, are you aiming for one
of three awards this year? If so, what are you doing to try to win?
“We are absolutely going for an award, the
Spirit Award. As I mentioned earlier our Walk is about being positive and
having fun, one of the ways we are keeping things upbeat and fun is by
decorating our Walk route. We have cut out poster board into puzzle pieces to
line our Walk route with and they each have a word written on it like “Hope”,
“Emergency”, and the Foundation’s website to name a few. We found red and black
knee-highs this year so some of the women walking will be wearing those. The
boys walking get into the spirit too by spraying their hair red and white. We
have tie-dyed t-shirts and tutus for the kids to wear and add puzzle pieces to
their shirts as well. Finally and most importantly, we ALWAYS have pictures and
pins that we carry and wear in memory of our mother, the reason we were touched
by TTP.”
Do you have any advice for TTP community
members who might be interested in Walking but are unsure about participating?
“Take a leap forward and just do it! We are
a small community and we need to band together! The TTP community has become my
family and helped me through the hard times I have faced since losing my mom.
Participating in this Walk makes me feel closer to the community. There is
nothing to lose by participating, only positive gain! By walking, you can help
to raise life-saving awareness and funds for TTP in your local community. Our
Walk is small but we are determined to spread awareness and be the voice for
our mother and other patients and families affected by TTP.”
Didn't have a chance to register to participate in this year's Walk? You can still get involved and make a difference in the lives of those touched by TTP donating to a team or an individual who is participating! No amount it too small or too great! Click Here to make a difference today!
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