Photo courtesy of Kellie Franklin.
People take part in the 2021 Walk to End Epilepsy at Railroad Park in Birmingham in November 2021.
The Hoover-based Epilepsy Foundation Alabama plans to hold its 2022 Walk to End Epilepsy at Railroad Park in Birmingham on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Registration for the 1-mile walk is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and a short program before the walk will start at 11 a.m., said Sara Franklin, a regional director for the Epilepsy Foundation.
It’s free to participate in the walk, but organizers ask participants to find people and/or companies who will sponsor them with donations.
The Epilepsy Foundation uses proceeds to raise awareness about epilepsy, fund research and training programs on seizure recognition and first aid, and to improve access to specialty and supportive care for people with epilepsy.
Last year’s Birmingham walk drew about 800 people and raised about $130,000, including corporate sponsorships, Franklin said. This year’s goal is $75,000, she said.
This year’s walk also will be used as a time to celebrate the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which was passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in the spring of 2021 and went into effect this school year.
The act allows non-medical school personnel who are trained to administer nasal anti-seizure medication to do so in emergency situations when a school nurse is not on campus. The act was similar to legislation that passed a few years ago, allowing trained personnel to administer epinephrine and insulin to students at school during emergencies, Franklin said.
There are about 7,500 students with epilepsy in Alabama schools, and this new legislation could help save their lives in the event of a severe epileptic seizure, Franklin said.
To sign up for the 2022 Birmingham Walk to End Epilepsy or for more information, go to walktoendepilepsy.org/Birmingham.
Walk to End Epilepsy
WHERE: Railroad Park
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.
