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2012 Jingle Bell run/walk to be held Nov. 10 in Janesville

When and where: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Janesville Athletic Club, 1301 Black Bridge Road, Janesville. Early registration starts at 8 a.m. at the club.

Purpose of event: "Raising money for arthritis is the main focus," said Dave Gracyalny, general manager of the local athletic club.

The run/walk also raises awareness about programs and services provided to the estimated 2.2 million people who live with arthritis in the Arthritis Foundation's Upper Midwest region that includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to a foundation news release.

"The main thing is that the date has changed," Gracyalny said. "It's always been the first Saturday in December. This is the first time in 21 years it'll be done (locally) in November. We always battled (inclement) weather in December so we chose to try it a month earlier and see how it goes."

Contact: To get involved, visit arthritis.org/JingleBellRun or call 608-221-9800.

Comments: "The prevalence of arthritis in our nation is surging, and we cannot ignore it. Events like the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis help bring the community together to advance research, health education and government advocacy," John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, said in a news release.

By participating in a Jingle Bell Run/Walk—one of 14 such run/walks in the Arthritis Foundation's Upper Midwest region—"supporters also are committing to move daily to prevent or treat arthritis,'' Klippel said.

Facts about arthritis and the Arthritis Foundation: One in five Americans live with arthritis, which describes more than 100 different conditions that affect joints, as well as other parts of the body.

The Arthritis Foundation is the only national, nonprofit health organization that helps people take control of arthritis by leading efforts to prevent, control and cure arthritis—the nation's number one cause of disability.