Grassroots

2009 Advocacy & Kids' Summit
Catch up with the highlights from this year's Summit

Advocates from across the country came together on Capitol Hill, March 2 - 4, 2009. Together they visited 80 Senators and 150 U.S. Representatives to let them know more needs to be done for people and children with arthritis--more research and prevention funding and better access to pediatric rheumatologists.

The Advocates' time was well spent. There are now 80 cosponsors of the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act (H.R. 1210). The Arthritis Foundation honored Representative Anna Eshoo (California-14th district) with the Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Leadership Award and recognized the Arthritis Ambassadors.

To find out more about this year's Summit, check out the Arthritis Foundation photos and blog from event.

JA Highlighted at Congressional Hearing

Mikayla Minnig, shown here with Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of CA, testified on March 18 before the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Mikayla's spoken testimony focused on her story, told on behalf of the nearly 300,000 other children with JA, as well as expressing the need for more JA research at the National Institute of Health. Meet Mikayla and read her testimony.