09/28/2026
❤️ Celebrating Our Community Champions of Courage: Michelle Ward & Kelly Imhof 🔔
This year, the Metro DC Arthritis Foundation is proud to honor Michelle Ward and Kelly Imhof as our Champions of Courage Community Honorees for the Solomons Island Jingle Bell Run.
For decades, Michelle and Kelly have been at the heart of this special event—bringing people together, raising awareness for arthritis, and creating a community where families feel seen, supported, and inspired. As they prepare to retire from their leadership roles following this year’s race, we’re celebrating the incredible legacy they leave behind.
Kelly Imhof and her husband, Greg, began their Jingle Bell Run journey in 1998 through their local running club. What started as a race organized to support the Arthritis Foundation soon became a beloved family tradition. For 21 years, Kelly and Greg served as race directors and timers, helping grow the event.
For Kelly, the Jingle Bell Run became deeply personal when she met young honoree Shannon Ward and her family. That friendship gave Kelly a closer look at the daily challenges of juvenile arthritis and strengthened her commitment to the cause. Today, she treasures the festive spirit, Rudolph Romp, costumes, community—and, of course, cheering so loudly that every runner can hear her! ❤️
Michelle Ward’s Jingle Bell Run story began in 2010, when her daughter Shannon was just seven years old. Diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at 18 months, Shannon became the event’s Child Honoree, and her team, Jingle Bell Rockin’, became the top fundraising team that year.
Michelle’s involvement continued to grow, and in 2022 she became a co-chair of the event. She has witnessed firsthand how the Jingle Bell Run can transform a diagnosis into connection, advocacy, friendship, and hope. Her favorite place on race day is the finish line, cheering for every participant—whether they run, jog, or walk.
Michelle is especially proud of the voice Shannon has found as a speaker and advocate for children living with arthritis, and she hopes the Jingle Bell Run remains a cherished Solomons tradition for generations to come.
✨ Kelly and Michelle have given their time, their hearts, and countless hours of dedication to this race and the families it serves. Their leadership has helped make the Solomons Island Jingle Bell Run so much more than a race—it is a celebration of courage, community, and hope.
As we celebrate their final year in leadership, we invite the Solomons community to join us on Saturday December 5th in saying THANK YOU to two extraordinary women who have made an unforgettable difference. Show support for them: https://lnkd.in/eCRE3RfG
www.jbr.org/solomons
Congratulations, Michelle and Kelly, on being our Champions of Courage!
