Shakita

Alford is a tough young survivor committed to recruiting

more than 1,000 participants to this year's 21st annual

Sickle Cell Road Race/Walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8 in

Welcome All park in College Park, Ga.

A key

fund-raiser for the Sickle Cell Foundaion of Georgia, the

event sponsored by South Fulton Running Partners

generates funds to send children to Camp New Hope, a

five-day retreat where young people ages 6-16 with sickle

cell can learn about living with the disease. A fourth

grader at Capitol View Elementary School in Atlanta and a

Camp New Hope alumnus, Shakita wants to help raise funds

so many others can attend this summer.

"Kids

learn some important things about life with sickle cell

when they attend Camp New Hope," Alford said.

"I want as many people as possible to participate in

the road race/walk so all the children who need to go to

camp this summer will be able to."

Sickle cell

is one of the most common genetic diseases in the United

Staes. More than 5,000 Georgians have sickle cell,

causing their bodies to produce abnormally shaped

hemoglobin cells. The disease causes recurrent pain,

increased infections and other complications that often

require emergency medical treatment. The disease is found

mostly among Africn-Americans, but sickle cell has been

diagnosed in every race.

First held

in 1979, entrants in the Sickle Cell Road Race/Walk have

helped raise more than $200,000 to send hundreds of young

people to camp.

"During

the last 20 years, the average life expectancy for sickle

cell patients has increased from 19 to 45 years

old," said Jean Brannan, president and chief

operating officer of the Sickle Cell Foundation of

Georgia Inc. "Part of the reasonfor this increased

longevity is the education those diagnosed with sickle

cell receive at places all over the nation, such as Camp

New Hope."

Entrants

can register online at ActiveUSA.com ,

or obtain a list of metro Atlanta locations where

registration forms are available by calling 404-755-1641.

Those registered earn the official 2000 Annual Sickle

Cell Road Race/Walk T-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to

winners.

A pre-race

party free to registered runners, walkers and supporters

will be at Welcome All Park Friday, April 7 from 6:30-9

p.m. They will enjoy a spaghetti dinner and live music.

Young Shakita will attend to greet party guests on behalf

of the Sickle Cell Foundation.