Sign Up for Jingle Bell 5K Walk/Run Dec. 13 at Purchase

From the Arthritis Foundation

For the second year, the Westchester Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk, scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 13, will bring runners and families together to raise funds to fight and cure arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. The annual festive event, which features a holiday costume contest, kids’ zone and fun run, music and a sponsor expo, will be held at Purchase College at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. inside the Performing Arts Center.

More than more than 800 people including competitive and recreational runners, walkers, corporate teams and families are expected to participate in the Jingle Bell Run/Walk this year. The race, which is timed by NYC Runs, is run on a USATF-certified 5K course with finisher awards in each age bracket.

“Arthritis affects more than 50 million Americans, or roughly one in five adults,” said Judson K. Siebert, partner at Keane & Beane, P.C. and 2014 Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk Corporate Chair. “Contrary to popular belief, arthritis is not an ‘old person’s’ disease. Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. I look forward to working with the Arthritis Foundation and the community to host a successful Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk.”

More than 300,000 children also live with arthritis including 12-year-old Erin Edgar, this year’s Jingle Bell Run Youth Honoree who was diagnosed with arthritis last year. “I am excited about being this year’s Jingle Bell Run Youth Honoree so that I can show other kids who live with arthritis that they are not alone,” Edgar says. Last year, Edgar and her family formed a team and participated in their first Jingle Bell Run, raising more than $10,000.

The 2014 Jingle Bell Run Adult Honoree is Denise Olson, a special education teacher who was diagnosed with arthritis when she was 19. “I hope to help raise public awareness about what arthritis is, how prevalent it is and how it changes your life,” she says.

“When people think of arthritis, they automatically think of minor aches and pains, which is far from the truth,” said Dana Miele, Community Development Manager for the Arthritis Foundation. “The various forms of arthritis can seriously affect joints, muscles, internal organs and eyes, and the disease claims the lives of nearly 10,000 people each year. More than 3.6 million people living in New York State have arthritis.”

Voted as one of the nation’s “Most Incredible Themed Races,” the Jingle Bell Run/Walk helps the Arthritis Foundation raise funds to discover better treatments and a cure for arthritis. “It’s an incredibly spirited event,” says Miele. “You ring in the holiday season, enjoy the camaraderie of family, friends, and other runners, and you are supporting an important cause.”

The Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk is made possible by the generosity of its sponsors that include: AbbVie, national sponsor; Janssen, regional sponsor; gold sponsor; NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital, gold sponsor, Keane & Beane, P.C., gold sponsor; Manhattanville School of Business, silver/hot chocolate sponsor; and Pepe Auto Group, bronze sponsor.

To learn more and register for the Westchester Jingle Bell Run/Walk, visitwww.wcjbr.kintera.org or contact the Arthritis Foundation at 212-984-8702.

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.