Haley Mapp has been a staple in the juvenile arthritis (JA) community since she was first diagnosed in July 2012 at age 9. That same year, she started fundraising with her family for her first Jingle Bell Run. Since then, she has become the philanthropy chair for the local chapter of her women’s fraternity, AOII. Haley is a true Champion of Yes in elevating the Arthritis Foundation’s mission.

During her time as Georgia's 2017 Jingle Bell Run youth honoree, Haley underwent brain surgery in New York City. Her strength and courage during this scary time didn't slow her down. She remained one of the Foundation’s top fundraisers and most engaged honorees of all time.

Haley went from being a JA camper, at Camp Acheaway in Georgia, to becoming a beloved camp counselor. As a leader, she takes time to listen and share stories of what it's like to live with JA and how to push through. Haley raises awareness about arthritis in her community and gives encouragement to those who are newly diagnosed. She often speaks on the Arthritis Foundation's behalf to other families and young adults.

From the moment Haley was accepted into Georgia Southern University, she knew she wanted to pledge her commitment to community service through AOII. She continues to serve as AOII’s philanthropy chair to elevate her chapter’s fundraising and volunteering activities and to make more people aware of JA.

Lily Laurent, 14, is an inspiration to many JA kids throughout her home state of Wisconsin. Her positive attitude and willingness to share her journey and story make her a valuable resource to not only kids with JA, but also to their families.

Lily has been a role model for kids with JA around her state by publicly fighting her disease while continuing to live her best life. She receives monthly infusions but still participates with friends in the sports she loves.

She recently worked with Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists in Wisconsin to create a video sharing her journey with JA so that she can help other kids who are newly diagnosed as well as their families.

Lily is never shy about promoting her fundraising efforts for local Arthritis Foundation events on social media. She takes the time to record personal videos thanking each of her donors and posts them on her social media accounts.

Bob and Jen Tonning are committed volunteers for the Arthritis Foundation and are the definition of teamwork and delivering awesome. Bob and Jen are focused on advancing the Foundation’s mission and are determined to make the future brighter for the next generation of young arthritis patients.

When their daughter, Emily, was diagnosed with JA in 2006 at age 5, Bob and Jen threw themselves into the deep end of arthritis. They learned as much as they could about JA and quickly became part of the Arthritis Foundation JA community, gaining the support and guidance they needed. In the years since, thanks to Emily's unbreakable will and the tenacity of Bob and Jen, Emily went from being wheelchair-bound to now being in remission.

Bob and Jen have spent the last 15 years volunteering in many leadership roles for the Arthritis Foundation. On a local level, they fund and coordinate the JA Parent Program where JA parents get to meet each other, learn more about JA from a subject matter expert and socialize. They have also worked as members of their own Central Massachusetts Walk to Cure Arthritis committee and helped as team ambassadors for those attending their first walk.

Jen serves on the regional JA committee and as a co-facilitator for the Massachusetts JA Connect Group. Bob started the Dad's-Only Poker Tournament in 2017 to get dads to socialize more. Nationally, Bob and Jen have served on numerous committees over the years, most notably chairing the 2019 National JA Conference.

The Tonning family's fundraising hustle is legendary. 2022 will be the 15th anniversary of the Emily's Pink Team Golf Tournament. In 2020 alone, the tournament raised over $100,000 for the Arthritis Foundation. And over the last 15 years, the total has reached over $350,000!

In 2020, Bob and Jen thought of another creative fundraiser: They bought a firetruck at auction, tricked it out with flat screen TVs and raffled it off for $10,000. During the pandemic, Bob also solicited a private donor on his own for a $50,000 gift. The Tonnings support all local events, too, attending galas in Rhode Island and Boston and running their own walk team.

Katy and Bridget Carter have been staunch advocates in their battle with juvenile arthritis on behalf of Rhiannon, their JA warrior, and for the entire JA community. As a JA mom and JA sibling, they have supported Rhiannon through all the ups and downs. Inspired by Rhiannon’s courage, Katy and Bridget dedicated themselves to providing support to JA families through the JA Conference. And their legacy will impact families for years to come.

Katy has served as a member of the conference planning committee for many years and stepped up as conference chair in 2017.

Bridget has been a driving force for including sibling programming at the JA Conference. Noticing the need for more sibling programming, Bridget and Katy founded the sibling program committee and continue to serve as co-chairs. They developed and delivered curriculum that included sibling-specific sessions for all kids, teens, young adults and parents, which continues today.

Not only have they left their mark on the conference, but along with Rhiannon, they are also active in their local JA community. Katy is a local leadership board JA chair, a JA parent Live Yes! Connect Group facilitator and a former Walk to Cure Arthritis chair. Together, she and Bridget continue to be an inspiration to JA families across the country.

Dr. Ashley Cooper is the Division Director for the Department of Rheumatology at Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH), one of the largest children's hospitals in the Midwest and caretaker for 1,000-plus children who have some type of juvenile arthritis. As the head of the rheumatology department, she sets a tone of complete collaboration, inclusivity and partnership for the full staff of seven physicians, nurses and others. As a result, the entire rheumatology team supports and works closely with the Arthritis Foundation — as event participants, guest speakers for in-person and virtual programs, fundraisers, donors, event committee members and more.

Dr. Cooper is also extremely generous, personally donating thousands of dollars a year to her fundraising teams and to purchase artwork created by her own patients through the Art for Arthritis program. The event matches children who have JA with professional artists, and the artwork they create is then sold at auction. Dr. Cooper sits on the Art for Arthritis committee and facilitates CMH's sponsorship that has been as high as $15,000.

As a member of the Arthritis Foundation’s local leadership board in Kansas City, Dr. Cooper is engaged and invested, leading the CMH’s fundraising team for the Walk to Cure Arthritis and Jingle Bell Run every year.

Dr. Cooper also works with the Arthritis Foundation to distribute a mailing to patients at least once a year to educate people about the Arthritis Foundation, encourage JA families to take the JA INSIGHTS survey, and encourages families to connect with the Foundation and get involved.

More recently, Dr. Cooper started working directly with the JA Committee to create a process by which all new patients at CMH are given a "welcome kit" that introduces them to the Arthritis Foundation. She advocates for children with JA by sitting on at least one national camp committee for the Arthritis Foundation, using her own expertise to advise the safest paths forward for kids during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Ashely Cooper is a tireless, unapologetic, passionate champion of the Arthritis Foundation. She's heavily invested in its mission and attends as many virtual or in-person Foundation events and programs as possible. She even shows up on random Saturday mornings for JA Days at the pumpkin patch!

Anne Jackson will always be the heart of Camp Dakota, the JA camp for kids in Michigan. For years, she ensured each JA camper was medically safe, had the trust and respect of the parents, and the hearts of campers.

Her commitment to the Foundation's mission — serving those living with arthritis — and Camp Dakota, runs deep.

Anne has been a Walk to Cure Arthritis team captain or team member since 2003 and raised over $3,000 in her tenure. And Nurse Anne, as everyone calls her, has been actively involved with Camp Dakota for the majority of its 15 years of existence. She has spent countless hours reviewing applications, reaching out to parents, and recruiting new fellows and colleagues to experience camp and volunteer their time. When the camp went virtual last summer during the pandemic, Nurse Anne volunteered for a session to host her famous game night, so the kids didn’t miss out on the experience.

Of course, a diagnosis of JA can be daunting for any family, but Nurse Anne ensures her new patient packets always have the latest Arthritis Foundation materials, including information on JA Power Packs, JA conference, JA camp and any local educational programs. She's open and quick with communication.

Nurse Anne is currently the head nurse for the University of Michigan Pediatric Rheumatology. Everyone knows her as she is the first line contact for families seeing any of the University of Michigan doctors.

She actively advocates for the kids to oversee their medications, build their relationships with the doctors (and her) and take the lead on managing their arthritis. When a kid receives a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis, Anne is adamant they start learning to advocate for themselves. She gives them permission to make decisions and take control. Most importantly, JA kiddos and families absolutely love her!