Alpha Betties

Thank you for visiting the Alpha Betties page!  Thank you to all returning contributors…the Alpha Betties appreciate your continued support!

Many people ask us…”What is an Alpha Betty?”

We are a group of dedicated individuals involved with the Alpha-1 Foundation that have been truly touched by the Alpha Community.  For this reason we have come together to raise funds to support research…we want to be part of the CURE!  

The Alpha Betties are committed to Alphas and the cause.  We have all taken an oath:
            To raise awareness and fundraise for a Cure,
            To help Alphas at all times

Our little group began last year as part of the Autumn Escape to the Cape bike ride.  We wanted to have an office team and since we were all ladies, we decided to call ourselves Alpha Betties (a Betty is a female bike rider).  Each of us committed to raise enough funds to cover our expenses and entry…but we exceeded expectations!  

We learned what it is to be inspired…filled with hope…what it means to be determined and not give up.  You can’t learn this from any book or seminar…you learn it from people.  In our case, from Alphas…those we had the HONOR of spending time with.  We learned something from each and every one.  It was awe inspiring to see the support team that was on hand as well…spouses, friends, co-workers…a lesson was learned from all of them…from fire fighters on Team Brailey to the husbands and wives that cheered us on…they proved to be a wonderful foundation of support for Team Alpha.  Again, we were honored and proud to represent the Foundation.  We hope we made an impact on Team Alpha as they have impacted us!  

We fundraise to support research in Alpha-1.  Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) is a condition that is passed from parents to their children through their genes.   This condition may result in serious lung and/or liver disease at various ages in life.  Alpha-1 has been identified in virtually all populations and ethnic groups.  It is estimated that as many as 1 in every 2,500 Americans have Alpha-1 (genetic COPD).  Alpha-1 can lead to lung destruction and is often misdiagnosed as asthma or smoking-related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).  Alpha-1 can lead to liver disease. The most serious liver diseases are cirrhosis and liver cancer.  To learn more about Alpha-1 visit our website at www.alphaone.org.