Reese's Run

My participation with the Joints in Motion Training Team is not new to most of you but now I can announce that I am officially participating in the Barbados event in December with Marci!  We are really excited to do this and I am extremely humbled that Marci has chosen this event to give back to running.  The fundraising is daunting but having already completed my first marathon, I feel more excited than ever for the event!  

March is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness month so it fitting that we commence our campaign today.  For most people, arthritis in children is unheard of.  My husband and I didn't even know how to react when we first heard the diagnosis as we had no idea what that meant for a 2 year old who is growing every day.  We have had ups and downs and the future is unknown but as of today, we have a happy, busy little 3 year old thanks to the efforts of her doctors and treatments that didn't exist even a few years ago.  This is why I participant with Joints in Motion because it is all I can do to continue the research and advancements not only for Reese but all the other loved ones who suffer from chronic pain.  

Below is an article posted by the Arthritis Society of Canada:

Affecting about 1 in 1,000 Canadians under the age of 16, juvenile arthritis (JA) is a leading chronic disease among kids in this country. The Arthritis Society uses Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month in March to heighten awareness of this disease and to raise much-needed funds for research that will find better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

“Arthritis is a crushing reality for many children in Canada; it’s not just their parents or grandparents who are at risk,” says Dr. Brian Feldman, Vice Chair of The Arthritis Society’s Medical Advisory Committee and a paediatric rheumatologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “The course of juvenile arthritis is unpredictable. Painful flare-ups may occur without warning and the child has to undergo a rigorous, time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant treatment program.”

Juvenile arthritis is the result of the body’s immune system not working properly. The immune system fails to recognize healthy body tissue and attacks it. Symptoms include excruciating pain and inflammation in the joints. Depending on the severity of the arthritis, some children experience irregular growth or physical disability.

The rest of the article can be found at the following link.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

In order to kick off our fundraising for the marathon, Marci and I are hosting a virtual race to raise money for the Arthritis Society.

Here are the details:

What:  Reese Run:  4 Mile Virtual Race

When:  April 24^th, 2009

Registration:  $10.00 minimum donation (feel free

 to donate more if you can!)

Prizes: Great prizes

Early bird prize (Register before March 24^th)

First male

First female

On April 24th, Reese will turn 4 years old.  She has decided that for her 4th birthday she wants to have a Floor Hockey party!  This makes us very happy as less than 2 years ago she couldn't climb the stairs.  To celebrate this, we are hoping that everyone will participate in the event and pass the banner and link on to others that may want to so as well!  Below is the link for the fundraising page:

REGISTER HERE FOR REESE'S RUN

We hope to have great success with our event and welcome your thoughts.  Thank-you for posting on your blog if you can and we are excited to see the results!