On Sunday, May 31st, the Holyoke community, families, advocates, and local organizations came together at Holyoke’s Heritage State Park for the very first Holyoke Lupus Awareness Walk. Together, the attending public turned the park purple to raise vital awareness for lupus, an often-misunderstood autoimmune illness that affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States.

This moving event featured educational displays, essential awareness materials, and powerful personal stories from local warriors living with lupus. The recording of this event includes opening remarks, a proclamation by Holyoke Mayor, Joshua García, and a by a presentation by the Springfield Central ROTC drill team.