May Is Arthritis Awareness Month
Throughout the month of May, we invite all of our sisters, friends and family to join us for National Arthritis Awareness Month. We will share ways to get involved as well as statistics and educational information throughout the month! This will include how we partner to support the community impacted by arthritis, including AOII’s commitment to the Arthritis Foundation, 2023 Walk To Cure Arthritis, how you can raise awareness, and the Arthritis Foundation’s Insights survey for those impacted by arthritis. We are also honored to share personal stories from collegiate and alumnae members, so follow along on our social media to support them!
Social Media Graphics
Join us in helping to raise awareness around how arthritis affects those impacted and how we can work toward a cure together by sharing our awareness graphics.
AOII & The Arthritis Foundation
Our partnership with the Arthritis Foundation over the past year has been in full support of the arthritis community especially the Juvenile Arthritis Community. In 2022, AOII donated over $421,329 to the Arthritis Foundation including $36,403 raised by AOII chapter’s Jingle Bell Run (JBR) teams and $26,983 raised by AOII chapter’s Walk to Cure Arthritis (WTCA) teams. Click the link below to read the Spring 2022 To Dragma article about AOII’s significant impacts throughout 2021-2022 and learn more about chapter fundraising efforts!
Arthritis Foundation Live Yes! INSIGHTS
Arthritis steals everyday joys, forcing many who battle it to say No to the things they want or need to do. But there are ways to say Yes instead of No. Yes to fighting for our community and making connections that count. Yes to advancing research for better treatments and a cure.
2023 Walk To Cure Arthritis
Make your move to change the future of arthritis today. The 2023 Walk to Cure Arthritis signature event is just around the corner — and it’s a great way to honor those who rock your world, as well as other caregivers and the nearly 60 million Americans who battle the disease. Be part of the fun by registering or joining a team now. Together, let’s raise crucial funds for arthritis research, resources and a cure!
Meet Amanda Watt
Amanda Watt, Beta Zeta (Kennesaw State U), the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk to Cure Arthritis 2023 National Honoree.
How does arthritis affect your daily life?
Arthritis affects every part of my life starting from the moment I wake up. I deal with chronic pain, and it is worse first thing in the morning and the middle of the night. Some days I can’t get out of bed and shower or get dressed due to the pain. I have had to switch jobs from working with lid with cancer and sickle cell to a desk job because I couldn’t function in my role anymore. I have a hard time cooking and cleaning, so I have to rely on my husband for a lot. I am thankful to have support… and food delivery apps! I also get very little sleep due to my severe pain at night. It makes it really hard to function daily with the lack of sleep.
What is one thing about having arthritis that people don’t realize that you deal with?
It’s not your grandmother’s arthritis. It is systemic, meaning it affects every part of my body- my joints, eyes, heart, GI tract, bladder, skin, etc. The amount of pain I deal with on a daily basis would have someone bed bound or in the hospital.
How does being an AOII give you a different perspective on the importance of our International Philanthropy?
I have been involved with philanthropy efforts since I was a child, so I enjoyed helping raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation when I was an active AOII in college. It was important to me, but I didn’t realize how much until I was diagnosed after I become an alumnae.
I have a different perspective now having a rheumatologic disorder. After I was diagnosed, I took the time to find out what the Foundation does, where the fundraising dollars go, what advocacy work they do. I truly had no idea how big of an impact they made with not only our sisters, but all Americans affected with a form of arthritis. There are no words to explain how thankful I am to have my sorority be involved with an organization that affects my life and is working every day to give me a better quality of life.