The Central Alabama Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will be hosting a kickoff event for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis on Thursday, Oct. 13.

The event, formerly known as the Arthritis Walk, will be moved back to December to coincide with the holidays, but those in charge of the event say the move was to help offer more activities for participants.

“The Arthritis Walk was solely a walk,” said Anna Blanche Young, Developmental Services Coordinator for the CACAF. “The Jingle Bell Run/Walk will have a 5K for people to walk or fun in, a one-mile fun run event, and a Santa Chase for kids.”

Young also said that the kickoff event itself would retain many of the same events, but the registration process would change.

“You don’t have to form a team anymore,” she said. We’re encouraging teams, but people can register to run by themselves, too.”

She said the reason for the change was because the holiday event was starting to catch on across the country.

“We’ve seen so much success with the Jingle Bell Run nationally,” she said. “It’s something fun for families to come together to do during the holidays.”

For more information, call Young at 979-5700, or visit 2011jinglebellrunchilton.kinterra.org.