MS Walk Top Fundraiser in LA!

This April, Canadian MS supporters were well represented in Los Angeles, California!

Through incredible hard work and dedication, Nancy Lester, a participant in the London, Ontario MS Walk, raised over $11,000 in pledges. She became an MS Top Fundraiser, and as her prize, travelled to Los Angeles in April for the Los Angeles MS Walk.

Read about Nancy’s exciting experience below:

“My name is Nancy Lester and I am the top fundraiser for the London MS Walk. I have Multiple Sclerosis. I am also a breast cancer survivor of 26 years. A few years ago I was attending a MS appreciation night where I met a lady who had raised $6000 for MS. I said to my husband Larry, "I can do that!"

I got busy and contacted local businesses in our small town of Tillsonburg. I emailed and phoned everyone I knew. With Larry's help, I was able to raise over $11,000, which I have continued to raise each year. As an incentive, when you raise over $10,000 you can choose any city in North America to visit and walk in their MS Walk. Larry and I have walked in San Francisco, Boston, New York City, Washington and this past April, we walked in Los Angeles.

The Walk was amazing, with over 6000 people walking around the Rose Bowl. We met so many wonderful people and they were so welcoming to us. I even had one fellow walker serenade me with his ukulele!

LA was also amazing. We did some sight seeing and saw Hollywood, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills. Of course, when in LA, one has to do a "star" search. After hearing the American Idol judges were doing the Larry King show I decided to make my way to the CNN building to see if I could spot them.

To my surprise Ryan, Kara, Randy and even Simon Cowell stopped for a picture and signed an autograph. They were so friendly and accommodating. When I told Simon I had MS and had walked in the MS Walk, both in Ontario and in LA, he was very impressed and said I looked very fit. I will take that from America’s top judge. It was an incredible experience.

Fighting back against MS has turned into a journey I could not have imagined. It has brought so many opportunities and unexpected rewards. I will continue to commit my time and energy to end MS.”

To see the rest of Nancy’s pictures with the American Idol judges, visit the MS Walk Facebook page and click the “Photos” tab.