By Kendall Watson

While Endeavor Elementary School fifth-grader Alicia Seidel might have a hard time winning the Best of the 80s Costume Contest of the 2009 Bellevue Arthritis Walk, the strides she’s made illustrate how far arthritis treatments have come over the past 30 years.

The Sammamish resident is the 2009 event’s official honoree.

Former King 5 “Evening Journal” host and fellow local resident John Curley will also star as emcee.

The walk is set to take place beginning at 9 a.m. on Oct. 10 at Bellevue City Hall Plaza in downtown Bellevue, and is sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation.

Two years ago, Seidel was enjoying a summer’s day family outing at the mall when she started to feel the effects of a disease better known for affecting adults in their retirement years – arthritis.

Seidel was struck with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disorder that affects children in much the same way as adults.

She suffered from severe joint-pain and swelling that made it difficult for her to even walk. But thanks to a quick diagnosis and expensive medications — and a supportive community who quickly came to grips with her condition and the limitations it imposes — Seidel, 10, is able to do most of the activities she enjoyed before arthritis, including taking part in this year’s walk.

Teams raising money to support research on arthritis treatments can register for the one- and three-mile walks, if they haven’t already done so in advance.

Along with treatment of symptoms, the best way to fight arthritis is to stay healthy through physical activity, said Alicia’s mother, Cynthia.

“One of the slogans of the (Arthritis) Foundation is, ‘Let’s move together’,” she said. “It’s important to your overall health to keep moving.”

There is no known cure for arthritis.

Other activities at the event include the locally-famous “Bubble man” show, a “show us your moves” dance floor, an opportunity to write an inspirational message on the Wall of Heroes, free food and drink, door prizes, and a free Bone Health Screening courtesy of the Washington Osteoporosis Coalition.

Earlier this year, Seidel and her family traveled to Washington D.C. where they attended the Arthritis Advocacy and Kids Summit and met with Washington’s senators Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell and Representative Dave Reichert.

The Bellevue Arthritis Walk, Cynthia said, is an important effort to raise awareness and help other children who may be afflicted by the disease and are unaware of their condition.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, an average of one in every 250 children nationwide has juvenile arthritis.

Overall, more than 1.3 million people in Washington state and an estimated 115,000 residents on the Eastside are believed to have one of over 100 different conditions recognized as a form of arthritis or rheumatism.

Arthritis Foundation spokesperson Julie Gabelein said participants who have arthritis are invited to wear blue “hero hats” to demonstrate how widespread the disease is.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one in five people has arthritis.

“It’s often times an invisible disease,” she said. “It gives people an opportunity to come out into the light, so to speak.”

The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s annual nationwide event that raises awareness and funds to fight arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability.

No fee to participate in the walk is required, though donations are encouraged.

For more information or to register online, visit www.arthritis.org or call 877-232-2898.