Jason Colby’s Blog

It’s a short work week for me as I am taking Friday off to head for Spokane.  The Spokane Lupus walk is on Saturday so I am driving the 41/2 hours on Friday and staying the night at a hotel.  I am excited about this little trip for two reasons, First is that I am excited to see all the people having fun while working to help the Lupus foundation, Secondly I am excited to see the area as the last time I was in Spokane was when I was a firefighter and was sent as part of a task force to fight a very large wildfire back in 1991.  Despite the reasons for my being there at the time I found that I really liked the area and this is a welcome return, especially as the circumstances of the visit are much more positive.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the autumn equinox as we are expecting temperature in the mid 80’s here in the Pacific Northwest.  Autumn to me is 50’s to 60’s so I will need to use my imagination to make it feel like autumn.  I hope the end of September or beginning of October usher in some cooler weather.  If not then is anyone hiring in Anchorage!?!

It has been a while since my last post on here.  The extended weekend is near and I am excited for the extra time off though I have no major plans (which I don’t mind at all).

The Lupus Foundation of America, Pacific Northwest Chapter has several walks coming up. I will be assisting at the Spokane and Olympia walks and participating in and assisting with the Seattle walk.  I urge everyone that is able to participate in their nearest walk.  If you can’t walk your self consider donating (there is a link to my donation page on the right).

Portland – September 19th (I won’t be able to attend this)
Spokane – September 26th
Olympia – October 3rd
Seattle – October 17th

The summer has been an especially warm one here in the Pacific Northwest and I am looking forward to my favorite season…Autumn!  Bring on the fog, cool weather, and brilliant colors.  The cool foggy mornings have an incredible feel and smell to them that are hard to describe except to say that it is truly wonderful.

Below is a PSA for the Seattle Lupus walk. You can see the same PSA modified for each of the Pacific Northwest chapter walks on YouTube. Be sure to share the link to your closest walk with your friends!

If you are unable to walk yourself you are welcome to donate to my walk via the link on the right or you can donate directly to the Lupus Foundation of America Pacific Northwest chapter through their website. Remember there’s always more than one way to help you can donate time by volunteering or just help spread the word.

Yesterday was my first board meeting with the Lupus foundation of America Pacific Northwest chapter (LFAPNW) and I have to say that I am very excited about the potential for helping many people that suffer from this disease.

While the economic downturn has meant fewer donations to non-profits there has been no corresponding drop in need for the services provided by these organizations.  Funding has always been a challenge for non-profits and now is a time of increased difficulty.

I would encourage everyone to donate and/or volunteer time to a good cause and I extend a personal invitation for each of you to support LFAPNW.  It’s understandable that not everyone can support a cause monetarily though we each have talents that can be shared by volunteering.  I began volunteering while in middle school and will continue as long as I am able.  There is no better feeling than helping further a worthy cause.

On October 17th I will be walking in the annual “mad hatter walk and roll” charity event to raise money for the LFAPNW to support all the work they do in raising awareness, educating the public and medical community, and supporting those with the disease.  You can support the LFAPNW by donating to my team’s event fundraising page here http://www.firstgiving.com/jasoncolby.

You can find more information on Lupus and ways to help by visiting the LFAPNW home page here www.lupuspnw.org

Yesterday I accepted a volunteer position on the Board of Directors for the Lupus foundation of America Pacific Northwest chapter. I am very happy to part of an organization focused on spreading awareness and providing support for people suffering from Lupus.

The following description of Lupus is from the Lupus Foundation of America website.

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (”foreign invaders,” like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues (”auto” means “self”) and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

As a special note Lupus disproportionately affects women as 90% of people diagnosed are women.

You can find out more about Lupus by going to either the Lupus Foundation of America Pacific Northwest chapter webpage or the Lupus Foundation of America Webpage. If you are on facebook I would encourage you to visit my profile and click on the Lupus cause badge in the lower left corner of the page.

Every 30 minutes someone is diagnosed with Lupus. Please take the time to read a little about Lupus and help to spread awareness.