A young girl who has been dealing with systemic juvenile arthritis for the past three years issued a community challenge to help her raise funds for the Cassie & Friends Society.

Jaylene Prime succeeded beyond her wildest dreams thanks to the generous support of family and friends in the Peterson Road elementary school community. A the end of the day more than $3,500 in recyclable bottles and cans were collected for the cause on Saturday, June 3.

The day started early and on the right note when Wayne Brooker and his partner Sherri Poirier drove his loaded dump truck into the Prime family鈥檚 driveway and dropped a full load of bagged cans.

鈥淲e handed out flyers and asked families at our school, Peterson Road, to bring out their empties,鈥� said Jaylene鈥檚 mother Charlene.

鈥淥ur family and friends helped make this day amazing. We are blown away by how this little area could raise so much money. Our family will donate this money at the Scotiabank Charity Challenge Marathon on June 25 in Vancouver.鈥�

The annual marathon is an annual fundraiser for the Cassie & Friends Society (see website: ).

Cassie & Friends is the only charity in Canada dedicated to the pediatric rheumatic disease community. Since 2007, the society raised over $1.5 million to transform the lives of kids and families affected by juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

Working with patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers and other friends, Cassie & Friends provide life-changing support, education, community and research to help kids and families face the ups and downs of life with a chronic condition.

Charlene also noted that Jaylene raised another $1,000 in cash donations for the society, and Jaylene had presented a speech at Peterson Road school about the condition which won for her division.

Jaylene refuses to let the condition get her down too. The disease, which affects three in every 1,000 Canadian children, can affect internal organs, and cause fevers, rashes and joint pains.

Some fortunate children grow out of the condition, but for the time being Jaylene is taking medications and biologics to treat it.

Charlene also wanted to thank Regional Recycling in Abbotsford, which not only made several trips to pick up all the cans but also awarded a five per cent bonus on the funds as it was going to charity.