FORT MCMURRAY RESIDENTS RALLY TOGETHER TO END MS - Signature fundraising event celebrates the power of community in fighting ‘Canada’s Disease’
Imagine waking up one day and finding out that every day for the rest of your life would bring uncertainty, the chance of losing your vision, your energy, even your ability to walk. That is the reality for the 1 in 340 Canadians who are diagnosed with MS, and their families, who live with the chronic, episodic, unpredictable and often debilitating disease called multiple sclerosis.
Every spring more than 30,000 Canadians come together to take a stand against MS by fundraising for and participating in MS Walks across the country. Our 2018 Fort McMurray Jayman BUILT MS Walk is scheduled for Saturday, May 26th 2018 at Snye Park and you still have time to register and join our community in giving hope and support to those affected by MS.
Among those who will be walking with us on this morning of inspiration, hope and community support is local MS Ambassador and 100.5 Cruz FM On-Air Personality, Shauna MacKinnon. When she received her own MS diagnosis in 1998, Shauna faced an uncertain future. But her involvement with the MS Society and long-standing participation in the Fort McMurray Jayman BUILT MS Walk has allowed her to build strong, supportive connections with others facing the disease and given her an opportunity to directly contribute to a more hopeful future for all Canadians living with MS. At the heart of her involvement, which also includes her role as a valued member of the local MS Society’s Fort McMurray Advisory Council, is raising awareness about a disease which can often be ‘invisible’.
“Fatigue is my largest obstacle, physically,” says MacKinnon. “Because my MS is currently invisible to others, people forget I have MS. This results in them becoming disappointed or annoyed with me for canceling engagements or leaving early,” she adds. Through the Walk, people like Shauna hope to increase awareness about the realities of MS and the supports available through the MS Society to help make the journey a bit easier. Funds raised through the Fort McMurray Jayman BUILT MS Walk fuel a wide range of services for local individuals and families impacted by MS, from advocacy and peer support, to information, education and financial assistance. Dollars raised from the Walk also support world-class Canadian research into a cause, cure and improved treatments for MS. Although Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, we’re also home to some of the world’s leading MS researchers, which is giving people like Shauna hope for a brighter future.
For more information or to register online, go to mswalks.ca. The MS Society will also be hosting a Walk Kickoff Night at Boston Pizza (downtown Fort McMurray) on May 12th. Join us for a night of fundraising, door prizes, silent auction and 50/50 draw, all in support of the 2018 Fort McMurray Jayman BUILT MS Walk. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Boston Pizza or by contacting Milena Joveska – Coordinator, Programs Services & Development, MS Society-Fort McMurray at milena.joveska@mssociety.ca.
