Walk to benefit arthritis group

Walkers and runners will converge at Savannah Rapids Pavilion Saturday to raise money to help eliminate the most common cause of disability in the United States.

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The 2007 CSRA Arthritis Walk begins at 9 a.m. to take advantage of cooler temperatures at the fundraiser's new location, said Todd Brantley, an organizer of the event.

The Arthritis Walk is the Augusta area's largest annual fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation, and it has raised more than $10,000 each of the past two years, he said.

Walkers and runners of all ages and abilities are welcome and there will be plenty of activities for children, Brantley said.

Physicians from the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics also will be on hand to answer questions about arthritis, he said.

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are the most common forms of disability in the nation, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

Forms of the painfully debilitating joint disease afflict one in three Americans and two-thirds of those people are younger than 65, according to the foundation.

Brantley's 12-year-old daughter, Krista, is among them. Because of treatment, her juvenile arthritis is in remission, he said.

"I'm a single father and I'm just trying to raise awareness that kids get it, too," he said. "You just don't realize it until your child gets it."

Walkers and runners can choose from a mile or a 5K course. Registration forms are available online at 2007arthritiswalkaugusta.kintera.org.

There is no charge to participate, but walkers and runners are encouraged to raise money to sponsor their participation.

Participants who raise $100 or more will get an Arthritis Walk T-shirt. Late registration begins at 8 a.m.