Jets announce Lupus Awareness Day for Week 4

Jan 3, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; A general view of a New York Jets helmet and an NFL football during the game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; A general view of a New York Jets helmet and an NFL football during the game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Jets officially announced Lupus Awareness Day on Sunday, October 2nd, 2016. It will occur before game time of their Week 4 match matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

It’s always a great sight to see when the New York Jets continue to give back to the community as well as bring awareness to a very special cause. The Jet Press would like to thank the Media Relations Department of the Jets for sending us this transcript ahead of their Week 4 home game against the Seattle Seahawks. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Lupus Awareness Day!

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The Jets, the Lupus Research Alliance and the Atlantic Health Jets Women’s Organization (AHJWO) will host Lupus Awareness Day on October 2, 2016, at MetLife Stadium when the Jets take on the Seattle Seahawks. This event is designed to increase awareness of lupus, a devastating autoimmune disease, and promote the Lupus Research Alliance’s mission to prevent, treat and cure lupus through medical research and raise funds for lupus research.

Prior to kickoff at 1:00 p.m., AHJWO members, along with Lupus Research Alliance staff and volunteers, will distribute purple wristbands for lupus awareness and collect donations from fans entering the stadium gates. In addition, fans are encouraged to play in Fan Duel contests supporting the Lupus Research Alliance at www.fanduel.com/lupus.

The Jets are deeply committed to supporting the Lupus Research Alliance, a national voluntary health organization chaired by Woody Johnson ‒ a member of the founding family of Johnson & Johnson and owner of the New York Jets. The Lupus Research Alliance’s mission is to find better treatments and ultimately prevent and cure systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus), a debilitating autoimmune disease, by supporting the most promising and innovative lupus biomedical research.  Collectively to date, the organization has committed over $200 million to lupus research projects at the most prestigious universities, medical schools and hospitals throughout the world. The Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs.

100% of all donations received goes directly to support lupus research programs.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, cells, and organs.  Symptoms are unpredictable and can range from extreme fatigue, skin rashes, severe joint inflammation and muscle pain to organ failure and even death.  Lupus is not a rare disease – an estimated 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus.  More people are diagnosed with lupus than those who suffer from diseases such as leukemia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis.  The exact cause of lupus is unknown, however, research suggests it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors (e.g., infection, sunlight, stress) that trigger the disease in susceptible individuals.  Ninety percent of those diagnosed with lupus are women and the disease is especially prevalent among those of African American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American descent.

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For more information about the Lupus Research Alliance, please call 800-867-1743 or visit www.lupusresearch.org.

About Atlantic Health Jets Women’s Organization

In 2008, the Jets Women’s Organization and Atlantic Health partnered to form the Atlantic Health Jets Women’s Organization (AHJWO). Through this partnership, the AHJWO can accomplish its mission of working together to build goodwill in the tri-state community through active volunteer participation. The Jets Community Relations Department oversees the organization with the assistance of Dana Glat wife of the Jets team president, Taneka Bowles, wife of the Jets head coach and Betty Maccagnan, wife of the Jets general manager.

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The AHJWO serves as a unique and positive outlet in the community on behalf of the New York Jets and seeks to team up with select charities to assist in maximizing the impact of their events. The work of the AHJWO would not be possible without the partnership with Atlantic Health.