QUEENS – On June 20, the Joanna Sophia Foundation hosted its 7th Annual Joanna Sophia Fun Run/Walk Around the World for Epilepsy & SUDEP Awareness in Queens, New York, drawing nearly 3,000 participants for its signature fundraising and awareness event.

In just seven years, the Foundation has created a lasting impact, donating more than a quarter of a million dollars toward epilepsy and SUDEP research and over $100,000 to assist families caring for children with epilepsy.

The Joanna Sophia Foundation continues to extend its global reach, with awareness efforts spanning North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, including events from the United States, Tanzania, Cyprus, and live broadcast in India, bringing greater attention to epilepsy and SUDEP awareness worldwide.

National and local epilepsy organizations including CURE Epilepsy, the Danny Did Foundation, and the Mark Shaparin Foundation were present in support of the event and the mission of awareness in which they share.

This annual event aims to honor the late Joanna Sophia Ioannou, who tragically passed away in her sleep from SUDEP. (Photo: Courtesy of the Joanna Sophia Foundation)

The family-friendly day featured a 5K race, children’s activities, giant inflatables, amusement rides, entertainment, food, and community programming focused on epilepsy awareness and support.

Local schools also participated in the annual event, including one of the largest Catholic High schools in the country – St Francis Preparatory – which had their cheerleading team there to cheer the runners and walkers on.

This annual event aims to honor the late Joanna Sophia Ioannou, who tragically passed away in her sleep from SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy) seven years ago, while also raising awareness for epilepsy.

Speaking to TNH, Maria Teresa Ioannou, the mother of Joanna, reflected on this year’s turnout, as well as how she felt to host another successful year.

“The turnout was amazing – it was really wonderful,” Ioannou told TNH.

“It’s crazy because every year we kind of contemplate, do we do this again? – because it’s a lot of work, but I’m very grateful for all the volunteers we have who help put it together because it’s a lot to ask for them.”

“Sometimes we just feel like maybe it’s run its course, and so we’re always contemplating hosting it again, but this year, my older daughters, who are 20 and 18, and Joanna would have been 17… they said to me, ‘Mom, you don’t realize the lives you’re touching.’”

This year’s event drew in around 3000 people. (Photo: Courtesy of the Joanna Sophia Foundation)

Ioannou then reflected on a moment which made her realize the impact this event has had on people, after seeing a couple of young girls spot the sign for the annual Fun Run/Walk and then ask questions about when the event was.

“One of the girls was like, ‘oh yeah, that was an event for that girl, Joanna,’ and then the other asked ‘oh, who’s that?’ and then the girl said ‘she passed away in her sleep, she had SUDEP, its sudden death in epilepsy, one in 26 have epilepsy’…and then this girl just started throwing out these facts, and to me, it made me realize – oh my God, I really have done this,” she expressed.

“I really have made people understand more, and it’s not just a run that people are just getting bothered with from the traffic that we cause – it’s actually something that is affecting people’s lives and their love and they’re enjoying it.”

“Seeing that really was a turnaround for me to be like, you know what?, even if one day we do decide to stop, we did what we wanted to do, which was to keep her memory alive.”

The family-friendly day featured a 5K race, children’s activities, giant inflatables, amusement rides, entertainment, food, and community programming focused on epilepsy awareness and support. (Photo: Courtesy of the Joanna Sophia Foundation)

As an event Ioannou and her family love to host every year, even though it is emotional for them too, she explained how it is a community favorite that unites everyone of all ages and physical abilities.

“It’s now eight years later [since Joanna passed away], and we have new people that come about, but we also have all the original people come along who have been participating since day one, so it’s just so beautiful to see,” she explained.

“Like I really am happy to see the kindness and the love that I see from all these people that are there. Yes, it’s because it’s a cute event and people come and they enjoy it, but they’re also doing it for a cause, which is just really nice to know that in a world where everyone on social media says that the new generation is just terrible, that there actually are really good people out there.”

Maria Teresa Ioannou additionally noted how she and her family look forward to hosting the eighth annual Joanna Sophia Fun Run/Walk Around the World for Epilepsy.