A heart felt thank you for another great year. We couldn’t do what we do without you. In 2024, we had another successful golf outing, raising $80,400! We also had a dedicated Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network (PR-COIN) fundraiser and received additional donations to help us achieve our goals of:
IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE
We partnered with four pediatric rheumatology centers (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Penn State Health, and Levine Children’s Hospital) to help patients attend appointments, pay medical and pharmacy bills, and purchase medical devices.
EASING FINANCIAL BURDEN ON FAMILIES
In addition to the direct cost of appointments and treatments mentioned above, we paid eleven utility bills, made six rent/mortgage payments, and covered a few nights in a hotel for a family impacted by Hurricane Helene. Two of our four partnering hospitals utilized all of their funding. With your support, we’ve been able to increase the funding available for families at these hospitals for 2025. We hope to raise enough in 2025 to maintain these amounts while also adding another partnering hospital.
SUPPORTING PR-COIN’S WORK TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES
We committed $50,000 to PR-COIN to enable them to receive a matching $50,000 grant. We will provide half of the commitment in 2024 and have two years to provide the remaining $25,000.
FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT HELP AND CONNECT
Abby’s Army was originally a walk team to support the Arthritis Foundation. 2024 was our twelfth year of participating in the Walk to Cure Arthritis and providing support for the amazing programs offered by the Arthritis Foundation for families of children with JIA and other rheumatic conditions. In 2025, we’re partnering with the Arthritis Foundation to create a Rheumatic Disease Day that will allow families to connect while also providing them with educational sessions and resources.
Looking ahead, we hope to see you at one of our 2025 events. Our 5th Annual Golf Outing will be held on Monday, May 19 at Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington, PA. The Philadelphia area Walk to Cure Arthritis will be held on Saturday, June 7 at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA. Thank you again for all your amazing support!
