Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation is Bringing Science to Life With Sixth STEPtember Campaign

Research and innovation both start with the same spark: personal motivation to find a solution that could change lives. Starting on Thursday, September 1, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) will harness that same energy to launch its sixth annual STEPtember fundraising campaign.

A 30-day fully virtual challenge that pairs personal activity with personal fundraising, STEPtember is perfectly built for this moment. The event encourages people to get active in ways that work for them wherever they are. It’s inclusive, with nearly 80 activities that convert to steps — from adaptive sports to physical therapy to dancing.  Many participants strive to hit at least 10,000 steps every day of September, and others choose goals that are meaningful and reachable for them.

The funds raised during STEPtember are crucial because CPARF has recently expanded its mission to include innovation and implementation, adding to its more traditional research focus. Among its newest initiatives is Remarkable US, a disability tech start-up accelerator that will make a near-immediate difference in the lives of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

"We need to meet the needs of the cerebral palsy community across every age and every stage, and we don't need to meet them in 15 or 17 years when some early-stage research would be completed and put into practice,” said Michael Pearlmutter, CPARF’s Executive Director. “We need to meet them today and tomorrow. I'm excited to figure out new and innovative ways to help bring solutions to the people who urgently need them."

CPARF is determined to keep raising the bar STEPtember set last year, with $1.86 million raised by nearly 12,000 participants from the cerebral palsy community and more than 150 corporate partners.

This year, CPARF celebrates four of its most dedicated organizations — those that are each stepping up and providing matching funds in 2022. They include UBS and Hudson Bay Capital, who’ve been part of STEPtember since its pilot year in 2016; six-time participant Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals; and five-time participant Kirkland & Ellis LLP. 

To join them and get active your way to bring science to life, visit www.steptember.us.

CPARF’S MISSION
Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds research and innovation to change what’s possible for cerebral palsy. To learn more, visit www.cparf.org or contact info@cparf.org.