On Sunday, April 25 Yorkton hosted the Saskatchewan Blue Cross MS Walk at the Gallagher Center Flexihall.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. It is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides services to people with MS and their families, and fund research to find the cause, prevention, treatment, and for cure for the disease.
There are over 3,500 Saskatchewan residents and their families living with MS, and one in two people know someone suffering form MS, so the need for fundraising events is crucial. In addition to improving the quality of life for those living with MS, the MS Society of Canada aims to raise funds for research that will end MS for good.
The Saskatchewan Blue Cross MS Walk is the largest national fundraising program for the MS Society of Canada. Last year more than $14 million was raised in 160 cities across Canada.
Funds raised from the walk support the best MS research in Canada, as well as innovative programs and services for individuals and their families living with MS in Saskatchewan. The walkers complete a distance of five kilometers, or 13 laps around the walking track of the Gallagher Center Flexihall
Those wishing to participate collect pledges ahead of time that are collected the day of the walk. Anyone can enter as a team or as an individual. For those collecting pledges different prize levels are available depending on how much money they raise. As the walkers moved around the track they could collect a footstep in order to win a prize.
The Saskatchewan Blue Cross contributes towards the cost of the walks, and also provides the top fundraising prizes for the top adult and youth in each community. A lunch was provided by the Gallagher Center following the walk, and was sponsored by Superstore, Harvest Meats, and the Yorkton Co-op. Following the lunch door prizes, along with the footstep prizes were handed out. This years MS walk footstep donors included: Grower Direct, Flaman's Fitness, Mr. Sub, Curves, Fabutan, Pizza Hut, Frameworks, and Investors Group. The door prizes were generously provided by: Blockbuster Video, Gifts of Gold, Pizza hut, Fabutan, Jody Lang at Cutters Hair Salon, and Flaman's Fitness.
This is, Development Coordinator, Brett Warren's first walk with the MS Society, but she comments that, "the more I learn about the people affected, the more I love my job." She also mentions that she is one of few who doesn't personally know someone suffering from MS.
Those walking on Sunday were walking along with the 70,000 participants of MS walks around Canada. After a good turn out of over 70 walkers the participants raised almost $18,400 for the MS Society of Canada. The participants can continue to collect and hand in pledges for the next two weeks at which time a top fundraiser and top fundraising team will be announced. Anyone still wishing to make a donation can contact someone that participated in the walk or visit www.mssociety.ca to donate.
