This year, Lupus Canada took its vision even further with the Lupus 1000 Challenge to raise $10,000 to aid vital lupus research. The support from the community and the amount of participation blew Lupus Canada’s expectations out of the water. Leanne Mielczarek, Chief Executive Officer of Lupus Canada, had this to say about the overwhelming support this year.

“The Lupus 1000 campaign showed what’s possible when we invite the community to make something their own—and they truly did. With 34 participants and 13 teams, we set out with a $10,000 goal and more than doubled it. From creative challenges to personal milestones, each effort brought meaningful awareness to lupus and contributed to a stronger, more visible community. This is just the beginning; we can’t wait to see how the community builds on this momentum next year.”

This year’s challenge saw a wide range of participants, family members, friends, colleagues, and those with the disease all unite. The collective effort motivated others and pushed people outside of their comfort zones, explained Isaac.

“It also expanded the reach of lupus awareness beyond just me—through the visibility of each participant, their own support networks got involved too, which helped spread the message even further,” said Isaac.

Yaneisy, who was diagnosed with lupus at a young age, struggles with the invisible disease daily. She has dedicated her life to studying and researching lupus to understand it on a cellular level. For Yaniesy, it is her way of understanding the disease and turning her experience into a scientific purpose.

“This year was a success,” she said. “I reached new audiences who were not familiar with lupus, and many people approached me with genuine curiosity, asking questions and wanting to learn more.”

This kind of community engagement is incredibly meaningful to Yaniesy, both as a researcher and as someone living with lupus. This year surpassed her fundraising total from 2024.

“This shows a growing support for lupus awareness and research. But more than the numbers, I felt a deeper connection with my audience this time. Their encouragement and interest reminded me why advocacy is so important, and it’s made me even more motivated to continue bridging science and lived experience in everything I do.”

The support and participation for this year’s event were tremendous. Not only does it demonstrate the desire of people in the community to bring awareness, but proves they are not alone in the fight.