The Arthritis Foundation launches Virtual Walk in tough economy!

A Virtual Walk has been launched for Montana and the surrounding region! Participating is simple – visit us online by clicking the, Virtual Walk link. Register, begin fundraising and “take a walk”. Virtual Walk event participants walk (or run) in their own neighborhood, or anywhere you choose. Just commit to walking at least 5K once before Friday, August 28th and you will have participated in the Rocky Mountain Region’s Virtual Walk pilot event! All Virtual Event participants will receive an official race T-shirt and a completion/participation certificate following the close of the Virtual Event. Map out your 5K route on Map My Run by pointing and clicking where you want to walk (or run). After you map out your planned course, you can share the map with friends, or even upload it to your personal data device(s). Let the FUNdraising Begin!

Sponsors :)

Arthritis can make you STRONGER!

Thank you to everyone who makes the Arthritis Foundation a strong organization. Your strength keeps us going throughout the year. In just two short weeks, you have helped us through two successful Let’s Move Together Arthritis Walks in Colorado and celebrated with us as we honored four distinguished gentleman during our annual Evening of Honors Gala. Where ever we turn there are people that have overcome many of the obstacles associated with arthritis and gained a strength that is awe inspiring. All around us there are individuals that take their silent struggles with arthritis diseases and help form a new lease on life for others. Take the time to hear the many stories that have molded arthritis patients into powerful people, while bringing hope to others. They are proof that arthritis can make you stronger.

2009 Evening of Honors Gala

It's not too late to register for our 2009 Evening of Honors Gala tomorrow night. This is a great event for us to help support the community and honor several people who have made a difference this past year.

The Arthritis Foundation, Rocky Mountain Chapter is hosting its Annual Evening of Honors Tribute Dinner Friday, May 8, 2009 at the Denver Marriott City Center starting at 6:00 p.m.

The evening will be emceed by 9News Anchor Gregg Moss and will include dinner, drinks, live and silent auction and featured entertainer Roy Firestone.
Honorees for the evening are Jay Davidson, Chairman and CEO of First American State Bank; Murphy Huston, KOSI 101.1 morning host; Mort Marks, freelancer for The Villager Newspaper; and Dick Saunders, found of Saunders Construction.

Tickets are per $250person. Special discounts apply for young professionals. Tickets can be purchased at www.blacktie-colorado.com/rsvp event code AF/09 or by calling the Arthritis Foundation at (303) 756-8622.
n sponsorship opportunities.

Programs!

Our Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program (AFAP) and Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) have been a huge success since they were first introduced in 1983. Many of you have been participating in these classes for 25 years, or maybe you just started. But hopefully all of you have seen improvements in your daily activities. The Arthritis Foundation continues to review this program to see what needs fixing to keep it as up-to-date as possible.

As if May 1st, we’d like to introduce our new and improved AFAP and AFEP classes! We are starting to recertify current instructors, and train new instructors, in these programs. New exercises have been added, new educational materials have been introduced and much more! Controlling your arthritis is our goal, and with these new programs we hope that you can achieve this. The best thing to remember? Keep moving, even when it hurts! And don’t forget to attend one of our Arthritis Walks in May near you to keep moving, spread the word, and fight for a cure!

Events

Come join us on May 2nd or May 17th to help support the Arthritis Foundation on our annual Arthritis Walks. The money helps to benefit those struggling with arthritis and helps to benefit research for the foundation.

There will be a "Show us your Moves" booth...come check that out and maybe you'll be featured on our webpage or on our national webpage. It's for a great cause!

We hope to see you there!

Thank You!

Serving as the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at the Arthritis Foundation, Rocky Mountain Chapter, I am humbled each day by the generosity of others through donation of their time and talents. One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to know volunteers as individuals. I get to hear about their family and friends, backgrounds, jobs, likes and dislikes, favorite memories and so much more! Together, our volunteers make up a beautiful and diverse patchwork of people.

As April is National Volunteer Month, it is fitting to take a moment to recognize the achievements of our over 300 chapter volunteers. In the last 10 days alone, volunteers represented the Arthritis Foundation at 45, 9Health Fair sites, allowing us to bring help and hope to so many people affected by arthritis.

There are so many reasons that bring volunteers to the Arthritis Foundation, some come because they have arthritis or a friend or family member is affected; it’s an :underdog” non-profit in comparison to the American Heart Association or American Cancer Society; and they just want to give something back in whatever way they can. One volunteer’s motivation to volunteer is that, “It gives all of my emotions toward arthritis and the way it affects my son action. It is one way (if the only way) I feel that I can have control over this disease and make all of [his] struggles not in vain.”

No matter what inspires you to volunteer, I thank you for everything!