The 25th Annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is Coming!

The Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis will bring the Greater St. Louis community together on November 24, 2013 to raise funds to fight and cure arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. This annual holiday-themed event will be held at Hollywood Casino.  The Arthritis Foundation expects more than 1,800 participants to take part in the 25th Anniversary of the St. Louis Jingle Bell Run/Walk this year.

Voted as one of the nation’s “Most Incredible Themed Races” in 2012, the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is an important way to make a difference in the fight to end arthritis, a serious disease that affects 50 million Americans, roughly one out of five adults. Contrary to popular belief, arthritis is not an “old person’s” disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis that affect people of all ages. In fact, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65, including 300,000 children.  In Missouri, arthritis affects more than 1.3 million people.

“When people think of arthritis, they automatically think minor aches and pains, which is far from the truth. Various forms of arthritis can seriously affect joints, muscles, internal organs, eyes, and also claims the lives of nearly 10,000 people each year. This is why the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is so important for this community to raise funds and fight to put an end to this serious disease,” said Meagan Fulmer, chief development officer of the Arthritis Foundation.

As the nation’s largest holiday race series, the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis offers a five kilometer timed fun run and a one-mile walk with other activities for the entire family. To learn more about the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis or to register your team today, visit www.arthritis.org/jbr. 

About the Arthritis Foundation

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis, and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.