National Limousine Association Donates $15,000 to Alliance for Lupus Research

February 9, 2012

NATIONAL LIMOUSINE ASSOCIATION DONATES $15,000 TO ALLIANCE FOR LUPUS RESEARCH

Furthers Charitable Commitment to Lupus Community

New York, NY – The National Limousine Association (NLA) furthered their charitable commitment to the lupus community with a generous donation of $15,000 to the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR). The members of the National Limousine Association have graciously supported the ALR over the past six years through their philanthropic arm, the Harold Berkman Memorial Fund. Their donation will fund crucial lupus research, and further the ALR’s mission to find better treatments and ultimately prevent and cure systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus) by supporting medical research.

About the NLA

The National Limousine Association, the voice of the chauffeured transportation industry worldwide, exists to promote and protect the international, national and regional interests of chauffeured transportation.  It is dedicated to informing, educating and professionalizing its members – chauffeured transportation operators, suppliers, manufacturers, local/state/regional associations – to ensure the continued growth, development and prosperity of their own organizations and the entire chauffeured transportation industry.

About Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect the joints and almost every major organ in the body, including the heart, kidneys, skin, lungs, and brain.  As many as 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus which affects mostly women during childbearing years, though men and children can have the disease.  Lupus is three times more common in African-American women than in Caucasian women and is also more prevalent in women of Latino, Asian, and Native American descent.

About the ALR
The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) is a national voluntary health organization dedicated to finding better treatments and ultimately preventing and curing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus), a debilitating autoimmune disease.  As the world’s largest private funder of lupus research, to date the ALR has committed over $71 million to fund the most innovative and aggressive research into the cause, prevention and cure of lupus. The ALR has supported research leading to the development of many of the treatments in the clinical pipeline at present.  This includes the significant basic translational research on the molecule targeted by the first new drug treatment approved by the FDA in nearly 50 years. The organization is based in New York City and chaired by Robert Wood Johnson IV, a member of the founding family of Johnson & Johnson.  Since its founding in 1999, the ALR has given more money to lupus research than any non-governmental agency in the world.  The board of directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs, allowing one hundred percent of all donations from the public, and the proceeds of our signature grassroots fundraising program, Walk with Us to Cure Lupus, to go directly to support research programs.  More information can be found at www.lupusresearch.org.

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