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Want to run a 26.2-mile marathon in Hawaii while also raising money for the Arthritis Foundation?
Anne Keller, 47, Warsaw, ran the Joints In Motion marathon last year for the first time. This year, she's trying to recruit more people from Warsaw to run with her.
"The reason I wanted the story," said Keller, a registered nurse, "... I'm in the reactive world of taking care of people when they're ill and I'd like to get into the proactive."
Another reason she got involved in the marathon, she said, is because she has two sons who are both ready to "leave the nest." Realizing she would have more free time once they were gone, her children told her she needed to get a hobby.
"I decided when I looked through a magazine, here's an idea," she said. The marathon in Hawaii to raise money for Arthritis Foundation was a great idea for her, she said.
This year's marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii, is Dec. 9. A participant needs to raise $3,500 for the marathon and all the money donated is tax-deductible, she said.
"We have a wonderful (orthopedic) community here in Warsaw. I'd love to get five to 10 people here to go to Honolulu to do this," said Keller. Teams can be formed of seven people.
"This is a way to role model," she said. "I think our community needs to be invested and be good role models for our families."
She also said, "The neat thing about this arthritis thing is that you meet people from all over who aren't athletes." Last year's marathon, she said, had more than 27,000 participants.
To participate in the marathon, an actual commitment needs to be made by the third week of July and a $100 non-refundable deposit is required. The 16-week training for the marathon also begins the third week of July.
The Honolulu marathon is Dec. 9, but participants would leave Dec. 7.
If Hawaii doesn't spark an interest, the Foundation also has their Joints In Motion marathon in Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 29, and Disney World, Orlando, Fla., Jan. 6.
Cost for the trips is $4,250 for Dublin and $2,850 for Florida and includes round-trip airfare from Indianapolis, ground transportation, event entry fee, team gear, fund-raising assistance, hotel accommodations, personalized training, team-training sessions and a pre-marathon party.
Funds raised also help prevent, control and cure arthritis. Keller said there are more than 100 types of arthritis.
She said, "You don't have to run (to participate), you can walk. ... I'm not a runner or a walker, I'm a jogger."
For more information, call Keller at 268-9191 or Michael T. Ford, Arthritis Foundation Indiana Chapter, at 317-879-0321, Ext. 204, or e-mail mford@arthritis.org
