A Charleston-area lupus ambassador is stepping into the spotlight ahead of the second annual Walk to End Lupus Now event at Wannamaker Park, an effort organized locally to raise money and awareness for people living with the autoimmune disease. The North Charleston park will host the walk, which brings together people affected by lupus, their families and supporters for a shared fundraising and awareness event benefiting research and patient support programs.
The Lupus Foundation of America’s Southeast region organizes the walk as part of its broader 2026 Walk to End Lupus Now season, which allows participants across the region to form teams, recruit supporters and raise funds either by walking in person or joining virtually from a local park or neighborhood. Proceeds from the walks support lupus research, patient education efforts and support programming run by the foundation nationally and across its regional chapters.
This marks the second year Charleston has hosted the event locally, building on a first-year walk that helped establish a base of participants and fundraising support in the Lowcountry. Organizers describe lupus as a chronic autoimmune condition that can affect multiple organ systems and often requires lifelong management, making community fundraising and awareness campaigns like the walk an important part of supporting people newly diagnosed as well as long-term patients.
The event’s local ambassador has used the lead-up to the walk to share a personal account of living with lupus, part of an effort by organizers to put a face on the condition and encourage broader community turnout. Foundation organizers say the Southeast region’s Walk to End Lupus Now program continues to expand its city-by-city footprint each year, with Charleston’s second walk representing part of that regional growth. The walk is scheduled to take place at Wannamaker Park, located off University Boulevard in North Charleston.
