Category Archives: Advocacy Summit

2017 Kids and Teen Advocacy Summit

More than 100 Kids and Teens to Meet with Members of Congress at Advocacy Summit

Arthritis is not just your grandparent’s disease, and at this year’s Advocacy Summit, our young participants will tell Members of Congress that kids get arthritis, too!

On March 6 and 7, more than 400 people affected by arthritis from all across the country will convene in Washington, DC, as part of the Arthritis Foundation’s 2017 Advocacy Summit.

Attendees will include an estimated 100 kids and teens who will participate in a special Kids and High School Summit track. Uniquely designed for kids/teens who are affected by juvenile arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases, this track includes interactive activities that will empower them with the skills and confidence they need to raise awareness for the arthritis community, young and old, and help change perceptions of this disease. Then they will meet with Members of Congress, educating them about barriers to health care and motivating them to consider all people who live with arthritis when they design health care legislation.
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Arthritis 101 Congressional Briefing

Arthritis 101 and Prescription for Access – Making Sure Your Voice is Heard!

Arthritis knows no political affiliation. It affects more than 50 million adults and an estimated 300,000 kids in the U.S., regardless of where they live or for whom they voted. We want to assure you that your voice is being heard by both Republicans and Democrats, especially as lawmakers consider changes to our healthcare system.
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Arthritis Foundation Advocate Awards

Staci Penner and Graci Diggs Selected for Advocacy & Access High Honors

Staci Penner and Graci Diggs have devoted their voices, stories and wholehearted advocacy efforts to helping the arthritis community live better lives. Today, we celebrate their advocacy efforts by announcing their selection for the Arthritis Foundation’s Edward M. Kennedy Advocacy Leadership Award and Emerging Leader Award, respectively.
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Juvenile Arthritis Advocates

Young Advocates in Pennsylvania Speak Out

School is out, so now what do you do to engage your kids? On June 29, a number of parents took their families to Harrisburg, PA, to participate in the 2016 Pennsylvania Advocacy and Access Day. Some of the youth were already pros having attended previous advocacy days and our Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC. For others it was a first time experience.
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Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Results

Stellar Results for Arthritis Community Achieved at the 2016 Advocacy Summit!

They came from small towns, big towns, places you’ve never heard of before, and places you dream to visit. Places like North Newton, Kansas, which is home to Bethel College and roughly 1,700 people. And places like New York, New York, home to 8.4 million people, Broadway and Times Square. But they all had one thing in common – arthritis!

On March 14-15, 2016, more than 390 people affected by arthritis traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in our Advocacy Summit.
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Advocacy Summit Banner

Empowered Advocates of All Ages Share Their Stories at the Advocacy Summit

Anna and Graci Diggs are on their way home. And they feel pretty good.

Anna and Graci are from Tipton, Missouri, and, along with 388 other people from all parts of the country, they traveled to Washington, D.C., March 14-15, for the Arthritis Foundation’s Advocacy Summit.

“We came to Advocacy Summit because we are dealing with some issues with my daughter’s arthritis that can be changed here at the Capital,” said Anna. “So we feel it’s important that our voices be heard. Hopefully we can make a difference.”

Graci is 10-years-old and has juvenile polyarticular arthritis.

The two-day event started on Monday with welcome remarks by Ann Palmer, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, who was followed by Sandie Preiss, vice president of Advocacy & Access, who introduced attendees to the advocacy program and key issues that would be discussed. Christopher Kush, CEO of the political consulting group, Soapbox, walked guests through a lively do’s and don’ts of communicating with legislators.
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Yes Flags Advocacy Summit

Finding Their Voices: Advocates Prepare for Meetings on the Hill

sophie-norah-advocate-arthritisDay 1 of the 2016 Advocacy Summit has wrapped and featured learning and training sessions ranging from mock meetings on the Hill, to ways to use social media to advocate, to sessions for advocates to learn how to begin their Capital Hill journeys. Like most attendees, April McCaslin and her daughter, Nora, and Meredith Meyer and her daughter, Sophie, are both excited and nervous for their meetings with Congress members tomorrow.

April and Nora are from East Syracuse, New York, and Meredith and Sophie are from Hilton, New York. Both kids have juvenile polyarticular arthritis and, while this is their first Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit, they are no strangers to Foundation activities.
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2016 Arthritis Advocacy Summit

Nearly 400 Advocates Arrive in D.C. for 2016 Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit

From the frosty snowbanks of Fairbanks, Alaska to the salty shores of Cape Elizabeth, Maine and everywhere in between, nearly 400 Arthritis Foundation Advocates from 48 states are converging on Washington, D.C. over the next two days for the Foundation’s 2016 Advocacy Summit.

While in Washington, these Advocates will learn about issues affecting people living with arthritis, then meet with members of Congress, telling their personal arthritis stories, and asking for support. Advocates will ask Congress members to support legislation that will address the severe shortage of pediatric rheumatologists (H.R. 1859, Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2015) and to establish $20 million in dedicated Department of Defense funding for arthritis programs and research.
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Virtual Arthritis Advocacy Summit

What is the Virtual Advocacy Summit and How Can I Participate?

Your voice matters! And this month, you’ll have the opportunity to tell Congress exactly what you think — even though you might not be able to join us on Capitol Hill.

The Arthritis Foundation’s Virtual Summit provides people who are not attending the 2016 Advocacy Summit an easy and effective way to share their arthritis story and ask Congress for support – without actually being in Washington, DC. The Virtual Summit consists of two different components. Continue reading What is the Virtual Advocacy Summit and How Can I Participate?