Arthritis benched Sequoyah High School senior Patrick Schweigert from playing sports, but started him on a path of advocacy.

Patrick, 18, son of Chris and Louise Schweigert of Canton, will serve as the first honoree of Georgia's inaugural Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, conducted by the Arthritis Foundation's Georgia Chapter.

The event is from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at Lilburn City Park. Registration is $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event.

The event is a fundraiser, but also a way to increase awareness about arthritis, which affects 1.8 million Georgians, including 9,200 children.

When he was in the seventh grade, Patrick began having trouble playing sports, particularly soccer. They were the same signs exhibited by his older sister, who has arthritis.

He eventually was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, one of the more than 100 forms of arthritis.

"I played sports all my life. That was the biggest life change," he said about giving up sports.

Patrick tried to keep playing for a couple of years after the diagnosis, but the pain was too excruciating. "I would be in bed the rest of the day. It just wasn't worth it."

The diagnosis, he said, helped him see the world beyond sports.

"Sports are fun, but they were not going to take me very far in life," he said. "There is a lot more out there than sports."

He found a new outlet through the performing arts. He took up acting as a sophomore at Sequoyah High.

"I absolutely love it," he said about his new passion, adding the only physically demanding part is standing during long rehearsals.

He also has re-entered the world of sports, though now he roams the sidelines instead of the playing field, working as a coach with the Cherokee Impact soccer organization.

In the future, Patrick is considering going further with his advocacy for arthritis, possibly becoming a lobbyist or joining the Arthritis Foundation staff.

Molly Parks, director of special events for the Arthritis Foundation's Georgia chapter, said Patrick was chosen as the inaugural event's honoree as a result of his and his family's work with the foundation. Patrick has three siblings also suffering from arthritis.

"In Patrick's case, his work with the Arthritis Foundation is a way of activating himself to make a difference," she said. "He has made himself available and engaged with the organization as a way to help others and himself."