Start building your team for the 2013 MS Walk!

 

It’s that time of year already – time to start recruiting a team for your local 2013 MS Walk! The walk takes place on May 5 in most communities in Ontario and the more friends and family who join you that day, the better.  Working together to make a difference in the lives of people living with MS will be a fun and rewarding experience for your team.

Not sure how to start recruiting a team? Here are five tips:

·         Don’t be shy about asking friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to recruit their own family members and friends as part of the team. The MS Walk is a great opportunity to meet new people and get to know one another.

·         Build a team pyramid. Challenge each person who joins your team to recruit at least 3 other team members. If you start with only 3 team members, and they each recruit 3 more team members, and those people each recruit 3 new team members - you'll have 40 team members helping to raise money for those living with MS in your community!

·         At work, hold a kick-off lunch as a fundraising and team-building opportunity. Get other departments or offices involved for a little friendly competition.

·         Use online communities like Facebook and Twitter to promote your team. Create an event and invite your friends to attend or tag them in your 2013 MS Walk posts.

·         Use the MS Walk Social Media Tools to include a message asking friends to join your team in your email signature.

Encourage your friends and family to lace up for someone they love and share in the fun, laughter and memories of the 2013 MS Walk! Tell us about your own team recruitment tips and tricks in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.

Autumn has arrived!

This past Saturday marked the official end of summer. The transition to the autumn season can be a lot of work as we close up our cottages, harvest the last of the summer vegetables in our gardens, or switch out our breezy summer clothes for the cozy sweaters packed away in the back of the closet.

Why not take some time for yourself, lace up, and go for a hike or stroll? Enjoy the last of summer’s warmth and watch out for some of the early signs of autumn. If you have the chance, snap a photo of the leaves turning colour or a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter and leave it in comments, or send it to us via Facebook or Twitter! We’d love to see you preparing for next year’s MS Walk.

And as you walk, remember: Pre-registration is now open for the 2013 MS Walk!

One month until the National Women's Show!

 

We’re pleased to be attending the National Women’s Show again this year. Between October 19 and 21 visit the MS Walk team at booth #207 to register for the 2013 MS Walk and the chance to win great prizes!

For more info, visit nationalwomenshow.com/toronto.

Good luck MS Bike Tour – Toronto participants!

This weekend, cyclists will be gearing up to end MS at the MS Bike Tour – Toronto. Good luck to all participants and thank you for your efforts in creating a future free of MS!

msbiketours.ca

Michelle De Vos: Dedicated MS Walk participant for over 22 years

Team NeuroFunk at the 2012 MS Walk

Michelle De Vos was diagnosed with MS when she was just 15 years old and has participated in the Oshawa-Whitby MS Walk for the past 22 years. Being diagnosed at such a young age, Michelle wanted to get involved with an organization where she could gain access to important information as well as help to raise awareness of this disease.

“For me it is important to show people that you can still live a full life even with this disease,” says Michelle. “Every year through our fundraising efforts we are closer to a cure. New and more advanced medicines are always being created to assist those living with the disease.”

Each year members of Michelle’s team, ‘Team NeuroFunk’, get together to fundraise. The day of the MS Walk the team shows up dressed in funky outfits, equipped with a mascot. “People are being diagnosed with MS a lot younger and you never know who it will affect. It is important to get involved in your community and help to raise awareness,” says Michelle.

Michelle and ‘Team NeuroFunk’ participated in the Oashawa-Whitby MS Walk again this year and raised a total of $12,161 – making them one of the top ten fundraising teams in 2012. Thank you to Michelle and her team for their amazing fundraising efforts.

Don’t forget… you can PRE-REGISTER for the 2013 MS Walk at http://bit.ly/L2jmzW !