Hundreds gather for 'The Walk to End Lupus Now' event in Fairmount Park

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More than a thousand people took a trek through Fairmount Park on Sunday morning, participating in one of the oldest Lupus walks in the country.

"Lupus is a pretty debilitating auto immune disease people don't really know about, it's really our goal here to support people who have lupus and educate the public so they can better support people," said Joe Arnold, Chair, Board of Directors for the Lupus Foundation of America.

Raising awareness by walking together.

The massive crowd did just that Sunday morning to support the 70,000 people in the Philadelphia region living with Lupus.

This is the 32nd year of the local The Walk to End Lupus Now event.

People came together to support loved ones diagnosed with Lupus and share their personal stories.

"I was officially diagnosed with lupus in 2006. But after years and years, probably 10 years of misdiagnosis," said Lynnai Jay.

Jay is now an ambassador for the cause.

"When I was first diagnosed, I knew no one with it. My goal now is to not have anyone be in that position. I wear purple literally everyday, sometimes my hair is purple. Something is purple and so that's my one way to tell people about it," said Jay.

People with lupus can experience significant symptoms, such as pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues, and physical impairments that affect every facet of their lives.

Many suffer from cardiovascular disease, strokes, disfiguring rashes, and painful joints.

The walk through Fairmount Park aims to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

The funds support research and services for people with lupus in the Delaware Valley.

"This is our signature event to celebrate and support the lupus community. I walk in honor and memory of my aunt who passed in 2001, and so we all love to come together and this is the one time of year we get to do it," said Arnold.

Despite the advances in science over years to help manage the disease, there's still no cause or cure.

The walk is a reminder of all that needs to be accomplished.

The group raised more than $160,000 for this event and close to $6 million over the 32 years.