Still Walking for MS!

People are still walking and rolling to end MS!

The MS Walk will take place in Sault Ste. Marie this Sunday, May 3rd. And depending on where you live, join us on May 24th for MS Walks in Belleville, Brockville, Kingston, Napanee, North Bay, and Sudbury.

Whether you are taking part in an upcoming MS Walk, or continuing to raise pledges from the April 19th events (there are three weeks left to fundraise and earn prizes), thank you for making a difference in the lives of people with multiple sclerosis.

MS Walk in the News!

This year’s MS Walk benefited from great media coverage all across the province! In communities large and small, the event was featured in newspapers, on radio programs, and on TV newscasts. It’s proof of what we already knew … that the MS Walk - and the need to end this disease - is important news.

Check out this front page photo from Monday’s Metro Toronto newspaper, which has a readership of 300,000 people!

Thanks again to everyone who took part in an MS Walk on April 19th. Let us know how the day went for you!

We Did It!!

What a day we had Sunday!

I was in great company as I joined thousands of people in Sunnybrook Park to walk to end MS.
It was a festive hubbub of both mankind and beast, all united in mind and mission. Participants came in all shapes and sizes with various accoutrements: strollers, wheelchairs, wagons, walkers, water bottles, juice boxes, canes, and scooters. From moms and dads, to children, to grandmothers and grandfathers, to dogs of all sizes, and to friends – they were all there, ready to walk and roll.

Despite battling a cantankerous chest cold, I walked ten kilometres, with the help of warm sunshine on my face and glorious deep blue skies above me. By my calculations, I took 12,000 steps – give or take. :) I was prepared for a difficult night MS-wise but other than some stiffness, I have experienced no increase in MS symptoms.

I am reminded that Sunday wasn’t just about a walk in a park. Because of the generosity of sponsors and volunteers, of family and friends, and of the tremendous outpouring of donations, the walk – every step, in fact – was a statement – a huge affirmation that we will end MS.

I’m registered already to walk in 2010.

Every step matters.

Barbara Dickson

MS Walk Success!

Every step mattered yesterday as the MS Walks took place in 50 communities across Ontario. An estimated 21,000 people took part, walking and rolling with family, friends, or colleagues, all united in the commitment to end MS. When all the pledges were turned in, almost $5 million had been raised! Check the results of your local community here.

“The success of the MS Walk is due to the commitment of communities across Ontario,” said Yves Savoie, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MS Society of Canada and President of the MS Society’s Ontario Division, who fundraises and takes part in the event. “In these difficult economic times, we are particularly grateful to our participants, donors, sponsors, and volunteers for their ongoing support.”

Don’t forget that there are still have four weeks to raise pledges – and earn prizes. And depending on where you live, join us at upcoming MS Walks in May, taking place in Belleville, Brockville, Kingston, Napanee, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Sudbury. Register at www.mswalks.ca.

We Will Win the Fight Against MS

I find it hard to believe that we only have two more sleeps until we lace up our sneakers and walk to end MS. These weeks have passed at lightning speed; almost as fast as the twenty-five years since my first child was born.

I’m pumped. While I’ve spent many years behind the scenes at the annual MS walks – helping in registration, setting up, and meeting and cheering the hundreds of walkers – I haven’t walked ten kilometres in close to a decade. My MS has progressed, marching along with the passing years. My mind – the doubting Thomas part – wonders if I’ll make it. It wonders if the MS will win and stop me mid-stride.

Of course, the optimist in me knows otherwise. It knows I will succeed. I will overcome any obstacles MS may throw in my path along the route in Sunnybrook Park. Whether it’s fatigue, unsteadiness, vertigo, numbness, or an assortment of other gloomy MS symptoms, nothing can compete against the resolve of the human spirit.

And I’m resolved – to take that first step, and the second, and the fifty thousandth; as many as it takes. I will overcome. I will persevere. I will walk past that Finish sign with my heart held high.

And if I don’t? The doubting Thomas will try to hand me an ‘I told you so.’ But the optimist in me will win yet again. I will congratulate myself for trying...for walking as far as my body would allow me...for raising money to fund vital MS research...

...for research that will put an end to MS.

And when that wonderful day comes, we will walk and run again! Ten kilometres will be a walk in the park and a romp on the beach.

We will win the fight against MS.

It’s time to walk and roll!

Join the Movement this Sunday!

Did you know?

... This Sunday, 30,000 people will be walking to end MS in 50 communities across Ontario
... Walking or rolling, participants will travel an estimated 162,000 kilometres combined
... That's a total of 200 million footsteps, or the equivalent of four times around the world!

Thanks to everyone who will be a part of the MS Walk this weekend! Be sure to check back on Monday for results and to share stories from across the province.

Mandarin Restaurants has renewed and expanded its provincial partnership with the MS Society of Canada

Mandarin Restaurants, located throughout the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, has renewed and expanded its provincial partnership with the MS Society for 2009.

Mandarin will purchase 35,000 carnations through the MS Society’s MS Carnation Campaign, which will be handed out to customers on Mother’s Day. Mandarin has also lent its support to the 2009 MS Walk in Toronto, providing lunch/dinner gift certificates to all participants and sponsoring several lunch items at the event. Mandarin’s involvement will continue through the summer, when they will support the RONA MS Bike Tours as a key sponsor.

The MS Society thanks Mandarin for generously supporting the fight to end multiple sclerosis.

The Sun is Shinning!

Well the sun is shinning today and according to the weather man it will also be making an appearance this Sunday. Thank goodness. The sun seems to put everyone in a better frame of mind and mood. Who knows it may even make some a little more generous. Let's hope so.
We've got three more days before the "walk" and everyday the sun should be shinning.
I wish everyone smiles and good luck on Sunday at their walk. Cheers!

Life with MS made tougher by uncertain economic times

MS Walk will help support locals impacted by unpredictable, often disabling disease
April, 2009 – The uncertain state of the economy is impacting all Canadians, particularly those who live with a chronic illness. For people with multiple sclerosis, who may require expensive treatments or lifestyle support, the need is as urgent as ever. At the upcoming MS Walk, taking place on April 19, not only does every step matter but every dollar counts.

“In communities all across the country, people are feeling the impact of difficult economic times,” says Yves Savoie, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MS Society of Canada and President of the MS Society’s Ontario Division, who is raising pledges to participate in his local MS Walk. “For people living with a chronic illness and the many associated expenses, it can be even tougher.”

Funds raised through the MS Walk are critical to enhancing the quality of life for people who live with multiple sclerosis. The MS Walk helps to fund services for people with MS and their families, which can include providing information and referrals, supportive counseling, and mobility equipment. Proceeds of the MS Walk also help fund the MS Society’s national research program, which is bringing researchers ever closer to finding the cause and cure of multiple sclerosis.

“The MS Society remains strongly committed to providing services to people with MS and their families,” Savoie emphasizes. “Until we achieve our goal of ending MS, we will be here to support those who live with this unpredictable, often disabling disease.”

The MS Walk is a family-oriented event that combines fundraising with community spirit. Participants can choose from varying route lengths; a wheelchair-accessible option is also available. Almost 30,000 Ontarians will take part in MS Walks this year, raising $6.7 million in pledges. Registration for the MS Walk is available at www.mswalks.ca or by calling 1-888-822-8467.

It's All About Teamwork!

The MS Walk team, pictured here at the Ontario Division office in Toronto, is hard at work planning the finishing touches for the MS Walks on April 19th.

You are part of our team too! Thanks to everyone who is registered and raising pledges to help end MS.

If you’re not yet registered – there’s still time! Find your local MS Walk at www.mswalks.ca and we’ll see you on the 19th!

Be a walker. Be an end to MS.

The Buzz Around Town

The buzz is about town. Everywhere you look there are signs for the 2009 MS Walk. Everyone you meet has a story to tell about a friend, loved one, co-worker or just an acquaintance who has been touched on some level by MS.

We've certainly come a long way since my mother was diagnosed in 1982 and further still with my diagnosis in 1990. We still have a ways to go for that cure but I'm optimistic. By participating and taking a pro active part in the process research will continue and perhaps I/we can give it a boost.

I am very fortunate to have the support of my family and friends but not everyone does. On April 19, 2009 I'm walking/rolling for everyone who has been touched by this disease.

I'm not the kind of person that likes to sit on the sidelines and watch life pass me by, I like to get in it and get dirty. It's important to take part and live.

See you all on April 19th. Wherever you are walking.

Subscribe Now to Stay Connected to the MS Walk

Stay up-to-date on the MS Walk by subscribing to MS Walk Connected, the MS Walk’s monthly e-Newsletter! You will receive exclusive promotions, news and stories about the MS Walk, updates on our latest online initiatives, and information about other MS Society events. Subscribe now.

Finally on Board

Okay, so I've finally figured out how to do this "blog" thing and actually add a picture. Who knew. It wasn't as complicated as I thought. I did have a little help though, hee hee.

It's the final stretch to the walk and by now everyone you talk to knows about the event. If they don't, sign them up and get them on board. Tell them about this new blog site and get them to make comments or even suggestions. That shouldn't be to hard to convince since most people are internet literate. Happy fundraising!

Taking a Step For a Cure

Well it's the end of March and it's snowing again in Beeton, ON. Hopefully this won't be happening on April 19th. If people you approach to walk with you are hesitant because of the cold, recruit them. Ask them to fundraise online and get others to walk for them or join "the team". You just don't know unless you actually ask. Stay positive/optomistic people respond more favorably to that energy.

Cheers
Good luck!