Help find a cure for arthritis by participating in and fundraising for the 2015 Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas on Saturday, May 9 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, 1000 Ballpark Way. Event day registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the Walk begins at 10 a.m. Walk to Cure Arthritis is the Foundation’s national signature fundraising event to fight arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability.
The Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas will feature local honorees who will share their inspirational stories about their battles with arthritis.
Meet our 2015 Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas Youth Honoree:
Emma was diagnosed at age 15 with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and a degenerative disc disease in her lower back. Emma is currently 17-years-old and a junior at J.J. Pearce High School. Weekly treatments are no fun for a teenager, but Emma is responding well to her drug therapy, which allows her to maintain an active lifestyle. She can’t imagine anything better than supporting an organization whose mission it is to help find a cure for arthritis. Emma wants to help fund research for a cure for the 300,000 kids like her suffering from arthritis.
Meet our 2015 Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas Military Honoree:
Master Sergeant Bridget Sonsel serves with the 301st Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Ft. Worth. She has been in the Air Force for 29 years and served in 13 countries. Her diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) four years ago was first associated with aging, but she later learned that it was attributed to her years in active duty. Arthritis affects many of our military heroes, like MSgt. Sonsel. Current research suggests that stresses placed on joints during military training activities, increased rates of injury, and increased weight of military packs have led active duty soldiers and veterans to have twice the rate of Osteoarthritis (OA) as civilians. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability and medial discharge in active service members under the age of 40. MSgt. Sonsel understands the everyday struggles that people with arthritis and fellow veterans face on a daily basis.
Arthritis is a crippling disease that costs the U.S. economy $156 billion dollars a year, and it is a more frequent cause of activity limitation than heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. The disease impacts more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children – or approximately 22 percent of the United States population. In Texas alone, there are 3.6 million adults and 25,000 children suffering from arthritis.
Funds raised through the Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas will support programs, research and advocacy initiatives to help people today while finding a cure for tomorrow.
The Walk to Cure Arthritis is nationally presented by Amgen, Massage Envy Spa and Aleve. Local sponsors of the North Texas Walk include: Local Presenting Sponsor, Pollock Paper, Parker University, Bristol-Myers Squibb and others. To learn more and register for the Walk to Cure Arthritis North Texas, visit www.walktocurearthritisnorthtx.org.
About the Arthritis Foundation
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. Since 1948, the Foundation has remained committed to leading groundbreaking research for better treatments and a cure; fighting for patients’ access to affordable and effective health care; and providing trusted information and resources to the more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children living with the disease. To learn more about the life-changing work of the Arthritis Foundation in Texas, visit www.arthritis.org/Texas or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.