Hello Everyone and Welcome to Kevin's 19th Annual Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma Home Page!
This is the 19th year that my family organizes and conducts a walk to support the National Scleroderma Foundation - and the 1st time since 2019 that we'll be doing it live and in-person!
After 2 years of being virtual, the ability to get together with all of our many supporters and fellow patients / caregivers will be a blessing...of course we are taking a huge number of precautions as a Scleroderma patient is a very immunocompromised one. Our 2 years of virtual walks was a series of difficult, but definitely correct decisions.
Thanks to all of our sponsors, donors and supporters throughout the past 2 years (and really all 18 previous walks) for your generosity. As our biggest fundraiser, the importance of this "walk" is so high and the spirit of the planning and participants with their thoughfulness and genuine concern is unparalleled.
To help celebrate our "back in-person" walk - and to hopefully spur even more generous support, Mariann and I will be matching all donations to our teams (she has formed a team as well) up to $5,000. So here is a chance to help me spend some money - figuring many of you would like that!
As a reminder, Scleroderma is a chronic, often progressive immunocompromising disease affecting hundreds of thousands of people and their families. This disease affects 4 times as many women as men and literally, the name Scleroderma means "Hard Skin". It can cause thickening and tightening of the skin and too often leads to serious (and sometimes fatal) damage to internal organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. It is a highly individualized disease and its involvement may range from mild symptoms to life threatening complications. As a chronic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue, the body's immune system literally attacks itself through the overproduction of collagen and is often accompanied by other debilitating conditions.
Please help us again this year by making a contribution to find the cause, discover the cure and support our patients/caregivers.
Use the links ("Donate Now") to make a secure donation. And if you can, join us on June 4th - in person or even take a walk wherever you are and share the videos!
If you wish to mail-in a gift, send to:
Scleroderma Foundation
300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 105
Danvers, MA 01923
Make checks payable to: Scleroderma Foundation. In the memo line, please add my full name and 2022 Stepping Out - Boardman OH (Ohio Chapter)
As always, we are blessed by such generous friends and family and wish all of you the best of health this coming year - and our heartfelt thanks for helping us support those who have this disease and who are supporting our fight!
With our deepest gratitude and affection,
Mariann and Kevin Boyanowski
