Moving Toward An Arthritis Cure
Wednesday - April 28, 2010 Share
By Dianne Ward, Executive Director
Arthritis Foundation Hawaii Branch
The Arthritis Foundation has been in Hawaii since 1964. Our largest goal locally is to provide programs and educational presentations to help people suffering with arthritis.
We really want people to understand how arthritis affects an individual. A friend of mine who suffers from arthritis described his pain to me as a really bad toothache - but all over your body.
What people don’t realize about arthritis is that it affects kids too. Tyler Holcomb, our 2010 Youth Honoree, is an 11-year-old boy who suffers from juvenile anky-losing spondylitis and is an excellent example of keeping a positive attitude throughout his experiences with arthritis.
Our 2010 Hawaii “Parade of Passion” Arthritis Walk, which takes place on Sunday, May 2, from 6 to 11 a.m. at Ward Centers, is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to find a cure for this disease.
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Participants are invited to bring their families, friends and pets to the parade to show their support. Donations raised by individuals or teams will benefit the lives of 236,000 adults and keiki in Hawaii who are currently living with arthritis. After the parade, we will have live entertainment, an interactive Keiki Zone with games and activities, educational vendor/sponsor booths, free snacks for participants, and even a Doggie Den, which allows you to register your friendly, pack-loving dogs to join the fun. We’ll have dog info, free bandanas for all registered dogs, activities and even adoptable dogs present.
We encourage people to be at our AF Walk supporting their local ohana who have arthritis, whom we call heroes. All attending heroes will receive a blue cap and access to The Hero Hut.
There still is time to register at www.hawaiiAFwalk.org. We also have a Facebook page, and you can follow us on Twitter @ArthritisHawaii. We will be doing updates all the way through the walk, with pictures throughout the day, too.
For complete information about the Arthritis Foundation, visit www.arthritis.org.
Hawaii charitable organizations may send requests for space in either Proof Positive or the free advertisement below to dchapman@midweek.com.
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