The Arthritis Foundation’s Pacific Region office has announced that the 2013 Arthritis Walk for the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys will take place on Sunday, May 19th at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Thousands of adults, teens and children as well as members of the residential and business communities from the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys and the Greater Los Angeles area will enjoy a day of fun and fitness while raising funds for a cure for arthritis. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the Walk will begin at 9:00 a.m. Walkers can choose from a one-mile or three-mile course. Funds raised in the annual Walk support research for new treatments and a cure for arthritis, the nation’s number one cause of disability. More details are available on the Arthritis Walk website: www.magicmountainarthritiswalk.org

2012 Arthritis Walk for the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys at Six Flags Magic Mountain

More than 50 million Americans (one in five adults) and 300,000 children suffer daily from the pain and disability of arthritis. There are about half a million people in the Valley alone, who suffer from arthritis.

The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s signature event that takes place in communities nationwide to raise funds and awareness to fight arthritis, the nation’s number one cause of disability. The entire family is invited to join others in the community for the Walk. There will be a Festival Zone, Kids’ Zone, live entertainment and refreshments. Many local businesses form teams and walk together, sporting their company logos on hats or shirts. Children of all ages, walking or in strollers, and friendly dogs are welcome.

Community leaders participating in the Walk include: Medical Honoree Wonil Lee, M.D. and Orthopaedic Honoree Umesh T. Bhagia, M.D. The Youth Honoree is 8-year-old Allyson Absey, who was diagnosed with Spondyloarthropathy, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and a related eye condition called Uveitis. Cheryl Gray serves at Honorary Chair of the Arthritis Walk at Magic Mountain.
Sponsors include Amgen, Pfizer, Massage Envy Spa, Zimmer, Arthritis Today, Genentech, Abbvie, Center for Orthopaedic Specialists, West Hills Hospital, Euflexa, Valencia Acura, Rheumatology Associates, and Janssen. Media sponsors are CBS2/KCAL9 and KHTS AM 1220.

“Physical activity, such as walking, is crucial to managing joint pain, improving mobility and reducing fatigue often associated with arthritis,” said Manuel Loya, Chief Executive Officer of the Arthritis Foundation, Pacific Region. “It is our hope that participation in Arthritis Walks will lead people to take action to improve their own lives as well as the lives of others with arthritis.”
About the Arthritis Foundation

2012 Arthritis Walk for the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information. Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or www.arthritis.org.

For more information about the Magic Mountain Arthritis Walk and registration details, call (818) 388-5077 or email debbiemartin@arthritis.org.