'Rare Your Jeans Day' By Howell Sisters Highlights Rare Diseases

HOWELL, NJ — Howell sisters who have turned their personal challenges into a movement to help others are holding their annual fundraising event that helps bring awareness to the struggles of those dealing with rare diseases.

The annual "Rare Your Jeans Day" held in Howell schools is a fundraiser for the Fighting HARD organization started by sisters Allie and Jonna Crocker. The sisters are battling chronic illnesses, and started the organization when they found there weren't a lot of support groups for kids dealing with their issues.

Fighting HARD (HARD stands for Having A Rare Disease) provides financial assistance and comfort to families in a variety of ways, from things as simple as dinners or a family fun day to helping to pay for medications not covered by insurance.

The foundation set up a $10,000 fund at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for families of children who are there for long-term stays.

Rare Your Jeans Day helps to mark National Rare Diseases Day, which is held on the last day of February each year. This year the event will be celebrated on Friday, Allie Crocker said.

"Why 'Rare Your Jeans' Day? It is because 80 percent of rare diseases are caused by faulty/rare genes," she said. "Many of these diseases are invisible, so it is important we make them visible."

There are a number of schools involved and participating in Rare Your Jeans Day, Allie said. At Howell High School, where she is a junior and Jonna is a sophomore, the staff has designed and created special stickers, and there was a jeans decorating day at school in advance of the event. Even Howell's principal, Jeremy Braverman, is getting into the spirit, she said.

Other schools are holding a contest for the best designs on jeans, and still others have decorated jeans "cutouts" that are hanging around the school.

"It is all about creativity, fun and most importantly raising awareness," Allie said.

In addition to the in-school celebrations, Fighting HARD is hosting a gathering at iPlay America from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, which will allow supporters and the families helped through Fighting HARD "come out and have a great time to help these kids know they are not alone."

Those interested in joining the Crockers and supporting Fighting HARD at iPlay America can sign up online.

If you would like to know more about the Fighting H.A.R.D. Foundation or how you can help, click this link.

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