Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026

Time: 9:00 am EST

Location: Bells Mills Park | Shea Dr, Chesapeake, VA 23322

Every August, families and communities around the world come together for 8,000 Steps for 8p Heroes to raise awareness, support research, and stand beside those living with 8p chromosome disorders. This year, we walk in honor of our very own 8p hero, Lainey, and the approximately 500 children around the world living with this rare condition.

Lainey was born with 8p Inverted Duplication Deletion Syndrome, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that has shaped her journey in ways we never imagined. Her life has included countless appointments, therapies, challenges, and moments of uncertainty — but it has also been filled with incredible strength, love, determination, and victories that remind us just how amazing she truly is.

Lainey is our hero.

Every smile, every new skill, every moment of progress, and every challenge she pushes through shows us a strength far beyond what words can describe. She has taught us that every step matters — even the small ones.

The 8,000 Steps for 8p Heroes campaign supports the Project 8p Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating research and improving the lives of those affected by 8p neurodevelopmental disorders.

This walk is about so much more than reaching 8,000 steps. It is about raising awareness for a condition many people have never heard of, supporting families on similar journeys, funding research that brings hope for the future, and reminding children like Lainey that they are seen, valued, and loved.

Whether you walk with us in person, join virtually, donate, or help share Lainey’s story, you are making an impact. Every step represents hope. Every person who joins Team Lainey helps shine a light on 8p and the incredible children who inspire us every day.

Thank you for walking alongside us and celebrating our beautiful girl.

Small steps. Big hope. One extraordinary little hero.