A Letter from the President Dear Friend, The holidays are here! I hope you had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. Hanukkah starts next weekend and Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! Then, we celebrate the start of 2020! We have so many exciting things planned for the coming year. Our first educational event of the year, Empowering Lupus Patients, is scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2020. We have hosted this event since 2008 and it has grown over the years and always brings out a nice group from the lupus community. We’re still finalizing the program and will keep you posted as we get closer to the event. Be sure to keep that date open! Registration will open soon. We’ll be hosting our Illinois Lupus Walks as well – stay tuned for an important announcement about those before the new year! And our Lupus Charity Runners team for the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is shaping up to be one of the best yet. If you’ve ever thought of running a marathon, consider joining us. We have an excellent program – why else would we have so many runners come back year after year to run 26.2 miles for us? In this season of giving, we hope that you will remember the Lupus Society of Illinois. We work hard every day to make lives better. With a staff of 3 and hundreds of volunteers we are able to provide personal support to people who need it. Our Financial Assistance Grant covers medical expenses for those in need, our educational events provide expert information from experienced professionals and our Illinois Lupus Walks always provide an opportunity to network with others in the lupus community while raising awareness about lupus in the general public. We can only do this together. Please consider making an end of year donation to the Lupus Society of Illinois. Together we make a difference. Mary Dollear | 
