This Columbus woman has run in the same fundraiser 5K for the last 29 years, and raised $300K for the arthritis community along the way

Every year in early December–for the last 29 years–Columbus resident Joanna Helon has laced up her shoes, grabbed a few friends and family members, and taken part in the Arthritis Foundation’s local iteration of the fundraising Jingle Bell Run.

This year will be her 30th, and she won’t miss it for the world.

Her team of runners, Jo’s Jinglers (which some years includes more than 100 people, all of whom either run in costume or sport some sort of coordinated flair), has raised more than $300,000 for the Arthritis Foundation since 1995, with the lion’s share of this–$271,000 to be exact–coming since 2016.

“Our team is made up of all kinds of people, and it’s grown every year. We’re always making sure we all have a certain hat or a holiday decoration. It’s such a great time to get together, so it’s become kind of a tradition,” she said. “Once you come to the event, you love it, and then you keep coming back.”

And it isn’t just the community aspect of the run behind Helon’s drive to keep running. She was diagnosed with Arthritis at the age of nine. She’s motivated by the thought that more research funding will lead to a better treatment options, and maybe even, one day, a cure.

“I always remind people that, back then, there was no internet. It was harder for my parents and I to get information. We didn’t even know that kids got arthritis at all, and that’s part of what was hardest for me to deal with when I was diagnosed.”

Nationwide, the Jingle Bell Run has races across the country, raising millions of dollars every year.

You can register for this year’s Jingle Bell Run here, and learn more about Jo’s Jinglers here. The race will be held at Genoa Park on Dec. 6., and features a timed 5K, an untimed walk, and even a kids event.

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