Sault Ste. Marie MS Walk Countdown - 6 Days

Only 6 Days until we lace up for someone we love in Sault Ste. Marie! That means only 6 days to gather pledges to hand in on event Day (but remember, you can continue to raise pledges even after the MS Walk is over).

mswalks.ca

Fundraising Tip #8 - Share your experience and your appreciation with those who donated

 

For those of you who walked on April 22, don’t forget to send a thank you letter or email when you receive notification of an online donation. Your donors will enjoy knowing that their donation is appreciated.  They will also love to hear how the event went, so send a post-event summary.  You can send this to past and present donors, to keep everyone engaged for upcoming events or even next year’s MS Walk. It’s also a considerate gesture to update your donors on how their funds are being put to good use – visit mssociety.ca for all the latest research information and other news.

Congrats to our participants attending the MS Walk of Champions this weekend in NYC!

  

The MS Society of Canada, Ontario Division, is proud to announce that six of our participants will be joining the MS Walk of Champions this Sunday, April 29 in New York City!  Adam Goldberg, Nancy Kastner, Nancy Lester, Cheryl Amar, Tracey Ostermann and Giselle Amann each fundraised over $10,000 for the MS Walk last year and, along with 6 other participants from across Canada, have been awarded the opportunity to participate in the 2012 MS Walk of Champions.  We would like to extend our congratulations to these amazing participants and thank them for their inspirational efforts to fundraise in support of those affected by multiple sclerosis.

We’re hoping to congratulate even more walkers who have reached the fundraising level of $10,000 in 2012 and will have the chance to participate in the 2013 MS Walk of Champions in New Orleans!

 



2012 Toronto MS Walk

   

Thank you to everyone who laced up this weekend for the 2012 MS Walk!

      

More than 17,500 people laced up for the annual MS Walk yesterday in communities across Ontario to raise more than $4 million for individuals living with multiple sclerosis. We are proud of the community spirit and remarkable commitment and dedication that we saw from every participant and volunteer, both at the event and in the many months of preparation! Find out the results of the MS Walk in your community at mswalks.ca.

 

Keep in mind that there is still plenty of opportunity to reach or surpass your fundraising goal! You can continue to fundraise, submit pledges online, and request any prizes for which you are eligible for the next 4 weeks. And just think, if every walker in Ontario raised just $10 more, we would have nearly $200,000 more that could help those with MS!

We would also love to hear about your experience at the 2012 MS Walk! Share your MS Walk photos, stories and videos on our Facebook or Twitter page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

We look forward to seeing you again at the 2013 MS Walk!

And of course, we haven’t forgotten about those participating in the MS Walk on May 6 or May 27, who are no doubt still busy preparing for their event and continuing their fundraising. We look forward to seeing you on event day!  For more information about the upcoming MS Walks, please visit mswalks.ca.

   

MS Walk Event Day Countdown – 1 day!

 

 

Thank you all for your amazing support and hard work in preparation for the 2012 MS Walk. Together we will end MS. 

For more information about event day, last minute fundraising tips and fundraising prizes, visit http://EveryStepMatters.ca. Enjoy a fantastic event tomorrow! Can’t wait to see you lacing up for someone you love!

MS Walk Event Day Countdown - 2 Days!

  

Only 2 days until we lace up at the MS Walk! Make sure you’re ready for the weather… because we will be walking rain or shine!  

Attention all Scarborough MS Walkers!

   

Before lacing up for someone you love at the MS Walk this Sunday, take part in the Yoga for Runners workshop on Saturday, April 21 at Scarborough Rouge Physiotherapy! As proud supporters of the MS Society and our research initiatives, Scarborough Rouge Physiotherapy is offering this class FREE to those who are registered for the Scarborough MS Walk being held at Cedarbrae Collegiate.

Members of the Scarborough Rouge Physiotherapy team will be available for consultation: pre- and post- event preparation, running shoe check, nutrition/supplementation options.  A complimentary gait scan analysis and assessment will also be provided to interested MS participants and guests.  Light snacks and post-workout nutritional shakes provided by local Arbonne independent consultants.

 

For more information about the class, please visit http://scarboroughrouge.com/yoga-for-runners-a-fundraiser-for-the-ms-walk/.

If you are interested in taking part in the yoga class, please call Gizele at 416-291-8998.

MS Walk Event Day Countdown - 3 Days!

 

Are you planning on lacing up for someone you love in the 2013 MS Walk? You can register for 2013 at this year’s MS Walk by checking the box on your pledge submission form!

If you register by June 30, you’ll be entered into a draw to win $500 to kick start your 2013 fundraising, courtesy of Mandarin.

National Volunteer Week

  

In honour of National Volunteer Week, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our amazing volunteers for supporting the work of the MS Society and donating your time to helping end MS. We greatly appreciate everything you do to help make a difference in the lives of those living with MS – your dedication and hard work never goes unnoticed.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact: Nicole Dube at volunteer@mssociety.ca or 1-800-268-7582 ext. 3111.

MS Walk Event Day Countdown – 4 Days!

  
We can’t wait to see all of the creative, energetic and spirited teams!

Team Captains, are you ready? Remember that awards are presented on event day to the Largest Team, Best Dressed Team, Most Spirited Team and Best Team Name, so make sure your team is looking their best and doing their part to end MS! Check out http://teamMS.ca and your Team Captain’s Handbook to make sure you and your whole team are ready!

And don’t forget to take the TeamMS Corporate Challenge!

Have you reached your fundraising goal?

  

 

Fundraising is down and the need for local services is up.

Did you know that when you bring your fundraising total up to $125 you'll be eligible to receive the official MS Walk T-shirt? With only days left until event day, why not kick your fundraising up a notch to change lives for the better in your community.

Need a little help? For simple and helpful fundraising tips from the MS Walk team visit our blog, EveryStepMatters.ca, or visit mswalks.ca for a list of top 10 Fundraising Tips. You can also visit http://bit.ly/IxNfSF to find out about fundraising prizes, the Elite Feet club and the Mission First club!

MS Walk Event Day Countdown - 5 Days!

  
Only 5 Days until we lace up for someone we love across Ontario! That means only 6 days to receive pledges to hand in on event Day (but remember, you can continue to raise pledges even after the MS Walk is over).

MS Walk Event Day Countdown - 6 Days!

  
Show your support and spread the word to your network by changing your Facebook profile picture to your favourite MS Walk image! Visit http://mssociety.ca/ontario/scwalkads.htm for banners, badges, videos, email signatures, logos, posters and more that can be used to help you spread the word about lacing up for someone you love on Sunday, April 22.

Fundraising Tip #7 – A Fun & Fast Way to Raise Funds: Play a Game!

  
For most locations, the 2012 MS Walk is only 11 days away! Now is the time to have fun with your fundraising! So why not play a game?

You can raise some last minute funds while educating your donors by playing a quick and fun game of True or False: Facts about MS. Ask your potential donors if they would be willing to play a simple game of True or False with you, where they agree to pledge you 25 cents (or $1, $2 – you can decide with them) for every answer they get wrong. Here are some sample questions to use:

True or False: Facts about MS

1. MS is usually diagnosed in infants and the elderly. [False: While it is most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40, we know that it affects children, some as young as three years old]
2. Women are 3 times more likely to develop MS than men. [True]
3. MS can cause impaired speech. [True]
4. MS can cause double vision. [True]
5. MS can cause extreme fatigue. [True}
6. MS can cause paralysis. [True]
7. Every week, on average, 1 person is diagnosed with MS. [False – Every day approximately 3 Canadians are diagnosed with MS]
8. Canadians have one of the highest rates of MS in the world. [True]
9. MS is not contagious, however, it is inherited. [false – MS is not contagious nor inherited]
10. The symptoms of MS can change over time. [True - Most people (about 80-85%) are diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of MS. Over time, from 50 to 70 % of people originally diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS will convert to secondary progressive MS, and will slowly accumulate disability. The remaining number however may have a very mild course continuing with only occasional relapses, generally good recovery, and only minor neurological disturbances accumulating for long periods of time.]
11. We will one day find a cure and end MS. [True!]

And since it’s so close to the MS Walk day, we thought we’d give you a few Bonus Fundraising Tips:

Bonus Fundraising Tip #1 - Start a countdown. You can start counting down the days until the MS Walk on your Facebook or Twitter page. That will be a good reminder for friends and family to get their donations in.

Bonus Fundraising Tip #2 - Ask everyone. This is the #1 tip of all of our top fundraisers! Ask your doctor, lawyer, dentist, real estate agent – everyone. You can even share your story with your local media. Creating awareness is a great way to boost your fundraising.

And when promoting your participation on Facebook, Twitter or via email, don’t forget to use our “Spread the Word” images and tools!

Become a Mission First club member

  

Interested in making your fundraising dollars go even further? Join the Mission First Club by donating your prize back to the MS Society!

You will be joining a special group of people who put the mission of finding a cure for MS first. When you generously donate your prize back to the MS Society, you aid in reducing costs associated with purchasing participant rewards, which in turn allows us to dedicate additional funds towards the cause and provide vital programs and services to those affected by MS.

To become a member of the Mission First club, look for the check box on your pledge submission form to opt for donating your prize back.

As a Mission First club member you will receive a tax receipt for the value of your prize.

  

You could WIN a trip to NYC or Chicago when you raise $500 online!

 

The MS Walk is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to kick your fundraising up a notch for a chance to win a fabulous prize. For every $500 you raise online between April 4 and 11 you will receive an entry into a draw for a chance to win a weekend getaway for two to New York City or Chicago!*

 

If you’re already registered, you can login to your account and share links to your personal fundraising page or pledge yourself to get started. The more you raise, the greater the chance you have of winning!

LOGIN NOW

 

Not registered yet? It’s not too late! You can register today and start fundraising for a chance to win this amazing prize!

REGISTER NOW

 

Please invite friends and family to participate in this incentive! You can share this information via our Facebook and Twitter pages. Good luck with your fundraising!

Thank you for lacing up!

mswalks.ca

* Fundraise $500 online, between April 4 and 11, 2012, over and above any previously raised funds in order to be eligible for this incentive. Each trip includes round-trip air fare for two and two night accommodation.  Flights are for direct, non-stop flights wherever possible.  Hotel nights are for Friday and Saturday, but there may be flexibility within 1-2 days on either side upon request. Average value per trip equals $1400.

  

Sponsor Profile – Old Dutch Foods

 

We would like to take a moment to highlight the commitment of our MS Walk sponsor Old Dutch, a Canadian company with a long history of contributing directly to local, active community projects through grass-roots sponsorships. We are happy to have them on board with us for another year of MS Walks throughout Ontario.

We appreciate and welcome the gracious contributions of Old Dutch and we know the walkers do too! Everyone is encouraged to support those companies who support us in our goal to end MS.

About Old Dutch

Old Dutch first started in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954 as a small potato chip company before achieving great success over the years with staple products such as the twin-pack box of potato chips, and its long list of flavours.  Retailers and consumers have come to know Old Dutch for its variety of snack food products and identify the windmill logo as a seal of quality that they can trust. Old Dutch acquired Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods in 2006 and today has national distribution of the premium Old Dutch Potato, Dutch Crunch Kettle, Restaurante Tortilla and Arriba Tortilla Chips, as well as Chip Dips, Salsas, and Meat Snacks.

You can learn more about Old Dutch by visiting their website.

And the winner is…

 
Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Share the Love” story contest that took place in February.

All of the entries were truly remarkable, but we are happy to congratulate Janet M. Vandenberg, from “Team Cindy”, who won Subway gift cards for all of her team members by writing about her love for her Team Captain. You can watch for the runner-up stories in future e-newsletters*.

  

Now, here is Janet’s loving story about her Team Captain, and daughter, Cindy:

 “Our Team Captain is my daughter, Cindy.  She was diagnosed with MS in September of 2011.  She is my only daughter, my love and my inspiration.  She has taken everything in stride and does not let this disease and what goes along with it tie her down.  She keeps trucking along, not letting the ups and downs stop her.  She’s the strongest individual I know of and has taught everyone she knows to not give up and reach for the stars.  She brings joy and laughter to everyone she is around and keeps such a positive attitude. She is amazing, she is everything, she is my daughter who I love with all my heart ....... XOXOXOXO”

Congratulations to Team Cindy! And good luck to all MS Walk teams as we countdown to event day!!

* If you’d like to sign-up to receive the MS Walk’s e-newsletter, click here.
 

“Spread the Word” about lacing up in the 2012 MS Walk!

 

The first series of MS Walks this year are only 20 days away! We hope you’re as excited as we are!

In this final stretch, be sure to use social media to take your fundraising goals one step further! Click here for a variety of images and tools for your blog, email, website, Facebook or Twitter accounts. You will find banners, badges, videos, email signatures, logos, posters and more that can be used to help you spread the word by letting your friends, family, colleagues and associates know that you are lacing up for someone you love at a 2012 MS Walk.

 

Here are some ideas on how you can digitally Spread the Word:

·         Update your profile and/or cover picture on your Facebook and Twitter accounts with an MS Walk badge

·         Embed an MS Walk ad banner onto your blog, personal website or email signature

·         Share the inspiring MS Walk video Every Step Matters with your online network

·         Update your voicemail to let people know that you are lacing up for someone you love

·         Post a link to your online fundraising page on your social media sites of choice

·         Print off an MS Walk poster and hang it up in your office cubicle or lunch room

·         Update your email signature line with a MS Walk badge which links to your online fundraising page

·         Update your desktop wallpaper with a custom MS Walk background image

And remember to take the opportunity to Lace Up! Speak Up! by creating and sharing your own video to explain why you lace up for someone you love and how the MS Walk has impacted your life or the life of someone you know. You can include this video on your own social media pages and also upload your video to laceupspeakup.ca for a chance to be featured on the MS Society website and newsletter!

Good luck with both your online and offline fundraising and thank you for being part of the movement to end MS!