Historic Downtown Franklin hosted the Jingle Bell Run/Walk on Saturday, Dec. 6, which raises funds to fight and ultimately cure arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability.
Nearly 1,000 people participated in the event, representing 21 counties and raising almost $85,000! Proceeds benefit Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) research, a disease that affects 300,000 children nationally and more than 10 percent of the kids present at Saturday’s run/walk.
“So often, people living with arthritis have to say no to everyday activities because of arthritis pain,” said Melissa LaBonge, director of Development, Arthritis Foundation Tennessee Chapter. “At the Foundation, we want to be champions of yes, giving hope to those who live with the reality of this debilitating disease by funding a cure. Events like the Franklin Jingle Bell Run/Walk help us to do just that.”
The event featured six-year-old Youth Honoree Madeline Carrico, who was diagnosed with JRA at 15 months, as well as two Dog Honorees living with arthritis, a nine-year-old sheep dog named Sheba and two-year-old Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. Significant donors for 2014 included GM Spring Hill Manufacturing, Loden Vision, Vanderbilt Bone & Joint, Mix 92.9, Pfizer, Crescendo Bioscience and national partners Abbvie and Zimmer.
To learn more about the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis or donate to fund a cure between now and Dec. 31, visit www.franklinjbrw.org.
About the Arthritis Foundation:
The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is the largest and most trusted nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs and challenges of those living with arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. Since 1948, the Foundation has remained committed to leading groundbreaking research for better treatments and a cure; fighting for patients’ access to affordable and effective health care; and providing trusted information and resources to the more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children living with the disease.
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