Three lupus advocates received chapter awards from the Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter (LFANC) at its 15th Annual NC Lupus Summit held in Charlotte on Oct. 24.

The chapter awards include three areas of honor: Champion Award, Mission Award, and the Ruth and Jim Banbury Volunteer of the Year Award.

CHAMPION AWARD – Phil Tackett of Charlotte. The Champion Award is given to the individual or individuals for their continued support in funding LFANC’s mission. As an active part of the Links For Lupus golf tournament since it began in 2000, Tackett has played a critical role in the tournament’s longevity and success. His involvement started as a desire to help due to a personal connection to lupus and to support his long-time mentor, Bill Little, the founder of both Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and the Links For Lupus Golf Tournament. The 15-year tournament has raised more than $500,000 since its inception. Tackett’s commitment to LFANC and raising awareness about lupus extends beyond Links For Lupus. He rounds up volunteers for Walk To End Lupus Now, volunteers at the Lupus Mardi Gras Gala and gets the offices of Little involved in Put On Purple Day. He has also donated furniture from his company to LFANC and encouraged his daughter to do her college internship with LFANC.

MISSION AWARD – Debbie Rognstad of Waxhaw. The Mission Award is given to an individual for their efforts and continued support of LFANC’s mission. A lupus thriver who was diagnosed as a young mother, Rognstad has been involved with LFANC for over a decade and co-led the organization’s first lupus support group in Charlotte. As the longest-standing support group facilitator for the chapter, Rognstad also plays the role of mentor offering advice and experience to our newer facilitators, and over the years has gotten her family involved in volunteering for LFANC.

RUTH AND JIM BANBURY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD – Heather Edwards of Asheville. The Volunteer of the Year Award is named in honor of the couple – Ruth and Jim Banbury – who founded the Lupus Foundation of America efforts in North Carolina. Edwards is a lupus thriver who was volunteering for LFANC long before LFANC was conducting programs and events in her hometown of Asheville. Since becoming an active LFANC volunteer when Buncombe County became a part of LFANC’s territory in 2012, Edwards has served on the Walk To End Lupus Now: Asheville Steering Committee. She was also inducted into the inaugural class of LFANC’s Lupus Advocate Bureau to help raise awareness about lupus in her area. Her participation ranges from doing media interviews and representing LFANC at community events to helping execute lupus educational programs in Asheville. She does all this while dealing with lupus for which she has to travel across the state for treatment.

“It is a tremendous honor to recognize these outstanding volunteers who give tirelessly throughout the year to support our mission,” said Christine John-Fuller, President and CEO of LFANC. “All of our volunteers are integral to our organization and to helping us solve the cruel mystery of lupus and provide programs and services to the 45,000 people living with lupus in North Carolina.”

About Lupus:

Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with, and a challenge to treat. Lupus is a cruel mystery because it is hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, hits out of nowhere, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive, and can be fatal, yet research on lupus remains underfunded relative to its scope and devastation.

About the Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter

The Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter is part of the national force devoted to solving the cruel mystery of lupus while providing caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. We work with local health professionals and volunteers to provide information and programs to ensure people with lupus and their families get answers and health professionals know about new means to diagnose and manage the disease. The chapter serves an estimated 45,000 living with lupus in North Carolina. For more information about lupus or the LFANC, visit www.lupusnc.org or call (877) 849-8271. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.