BERLIN – A local nonprofit is launching a fall fundraising event over the course of several weeks to raise awareness and support research for autoimmune diseases.
Beginning in October, Operation Shooting Star, a charitable organization that raises awareness for autoimmune diseases and donates 100 percent of its proceeds to research, will host a series of fundraisers throughout Sussex County.
Audrey Killen, founder and executive director of Operation Shooting Star, said the organization will rely on community support to raise $10,000 from the “Take on 10” Fall Fundraising Extravaganza.
The money will go to support autoimmune disease research.
Killen said autoimmune diseases affect more than 24 million Americans, but is still a widely unknown category.
“People are familiar with some of over 80 individual diseases, however, not as much that they are all connected,” she said. “Raising awareness and funds for research could help essentially bring focus to this connection and, ultimately, cure one to cure all.”
Killen, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2009, said it was the lack of information about autoimmune diseases that inspired her to fight.
“As it stands, the lack of database and/or reporting for autoimmune diseases as a whole is one of doctors’ and researchers’ biggest challenges,” she said, “which is why it is imperative we focus on the connection among the individual diseases to provide more collaborative information to help determine these statistics.”
A team of 10 walkers and runners, consisting of Killen, her family, friends and sponsors, will participate in the Across the Bay 10K on Nov. 5 to raise funds and awareness for autoimmune diseases.
The event, however, has now grown into a community-wide initiative.
“It started with deciding to do the 10K as a team and realizing this would be a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for research of autoimmune diseases on such a large, positive platform such as this race,” she said. “Run/walk 10K to raise $10K became the motto and we thought it would be helpful to get the community involved directly at local events, in addition to just asking for sponsors for each of our team members participating in the race itself.”
The organization will host its first local fundraiser on Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro, Del., where there will be a showing of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”. Tickets will be sold for $10 in advance and at the door.
On Monday, Oct. 23, Operation Shooting Star will also host a dinner buffet from 5-6 p.m. at Georgia House Restaurant in Selbyville, Del. Tickets will be on sale for $22 for adults and $16 for kids in advance and at the door.
Lastly, the nonprofit will host an Operation Shooting Star Birthday Celebration on Nov. 10 from 4-10 p.m. at The Cove at Bayside in Selbyville. Ten percent of all food sales will be donated to the organization. The Dirt Road Outlawz Band and a silent auction will also take place that evening from 7-10. There will be a $10 cover at the door.
For more information on the events, or to purchase tickets in advance, contact Operation Shooting Star at 302-524-8292 or visit operationshootingstar.org.
