ROLLING FOR DOLLARS; HOCKEY TOURNAMENT HELPS ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer Mike Nicastro knew he was playing roller hockey roller hockey n. Hockey played on a hard surface in which two opposing teams of roller skaters, using curved sticks, try to drive a ball into the opponents' goal. for a good cause Saturday morning during the first annual Heroes Roller Hockey Tournament to benefit the Arthritis Foundation This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , but the 10-year-old didn't really know what arthritis arthritis, painful inflammation of a joint or joints of the body, usually producing heat and redness. There are many kinds of arthritis. In its various forms, arthritis disables more people than any other chronic disorder. was, and he certainly didn't know anyone who has it. Until he found out his mother does. ``My mom just told me that she has arthritis in her hand,'' he said, breathlessly breath·less adj. 1. Breathing with difficulty; gasping: was breathless from running. 2. Marked by the suspension of regular breathing, as from tension or excitement: , shocked to learn that the affliction was that close to him. His was the reaction organizers of the tournament expected, and even welcomed, this weekend - one of personal recognition. They wanted to raise awareness of arthritis and show that it is not something only older people get; even children can have it. ``Already I've seen a lot of kids asking questions about it,'' said Patti Hartmann, executive director of the Arthritis Foundation's Ventura County office. ``Their awareness is going up and that, to us, is just as important as the funds raised.'' The event benefits research and programs for juvenile arthritis Juvenile Arthritis Definition Juvenile arthritis (JA), also called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), refers to a number of different conditions, all of which strike children, and all of which have immune-mediated joint inflammation as their major and related diseases. Foundation officials said 300,000 children and teen-agers in the country have arthritis, adding that it would be difficult for them to hold a hockey stick. ``It gets families involved in thinking about arthritis in a different way,'' Hartmann said. The tournament, the first at the arena for charity and the first to involve a wide variety of playing levels, will continue from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at the Rollerdome, 950 Avenida de los Arboles. Don Adler, a roller hockey coach and member of the foundation's advisory board, said more than 170 boys, ranging in age from 6 to 14, have signed up for 16 teams in four divisions. The group expects to raise $5,000 in entrance fees and sponsorships - including a sizable siz·a·ble also size·a·ble adj. Of considerable size; fairly large. siz  a·ble·ness n. donation from United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), commonly referred to as UPS, is the world's largest package delivery company, delivering more than 15 million packages[1] a day to 6.1 million customers in over 200 countries and territories around the world. . The
foundation's Camp Esperanza is among the beneficiaries.
CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1-2--Color) Young roller hockey players vie for the puck, above, at the Heroes tournament Saturday to raise funds and awareness for the Arthritis Foundation. At right, Matt Szilagi is all smiles after winning a trophy at the Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. event. (3) Goalie Mike Nicastro, 10, makes a save Saturday at the Heroes Roller Hockey Tournament fund-raiser for the Arthritis Foundation. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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