As we have entered December, the time for Christmas celebrations is finally here. You can now forget all about the Christmas songs playing in shopping centers everywhere, and even about that annoying neighbor who set up his Christmas lights since before Thanksgiving, since now it’s ok for you to do it as well. And since there are few things more important than solidarity during the holidays, read on to find out about this year’s Jingle Bell Run to raise money for arthritis.
- Arthritis affects one in every five adults, and 1 in every 300,000 children in the United States, being the leading cause of disability
- Volunteers from the Arthritis Foundation from all around the country are responsible for organizing the run
- There is a registration fee, and all money will go towards arthritis research
- Events will be happening all over the Eastern United States, but some will also be present throughout the West and Central
- The race does get competitive, and a focus is put on different captains and their nation-wide teams
Over 800 people participated in last Sunday’s event taking place in Metuchen, New Jersey, and it will probably be one of the smallest events this year. With the run taking place throughout the nation for the following weeks, the odds look good for the researchers awaiting the money collected from the events in order to continue looking into a treatment for arthritis.
The winner of the 5 kilometer race this Sunday came in with 17 minutes and 23 seconds, although most of the participants didn’t really care about the racing part, with them just going out and enjoying the still pleasant weather, walking their dogs and even taking babies out for a stroll.
People all over the state came dressed in costumes, some as Santa, some as reindeers, most as elves, and the largest part even wore jingle bells on their shoes, giving the event a very festive atmosphere, despite the pleasant weather and lack of snow.
The regional director of the New Jersey chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, Amy Boright, claimed that people are exceptionally supportive in regards to the team’s mission, as it’s impossible not to know someone affected by arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Not only that, but people attending the event praised it as being really fun. They seemed to really get into it, just as it is appropriate during the holiday season.
Will you be joining the run this year? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Image source: Flickr
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