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Award Winning Meteorologist To Step Out In West Haven

February 26, 2014

Gil Simmons, health reporter with New Haven’s WTNH News 8, shows off an appreciation plaque for his participation in the 2013 Walk MS. Simmons is a longtime supporter of the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, and has led the charge, beginning in Woodstock in early 2000 and then in West Haven beginning in 2010. This year’s walk is expected to raise $1.3 million, and Simmons will again team up to lead the charge in West Haven.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Award-winning meteorologist Gil Simmons, WTNH News 8, will step out Sunday, April 6, with more than 1,000 West Haven residents, all of whom support the fight against multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease.

West Haven High School’s campus will host Walk MS, an annual fundraiser held by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter. Meteorologist Gil Simmons, a longtime supporter, will lead the charge from the West Haven walk site.

A native of Killingly, Simmons joined WTNH News 8 in 2003. Prior, he served for six years as a meteorologist and oceanographer U.S. Marine Corps.

Simmons has received two Emmy nominations for his weather coverage in Connecticut, and in 2002 was awarded Best Weathercast in Connecticut by the Associated Press. He is a longtime supporter of the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, helping to raise awareness throughout Connecticut.

More than 6,000 Connecticut residents battle MS. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and, as a result, there currently is no cure. Symptoms can include, among other things, numbness and tingling in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness and, in some severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.

“Each year West Haven area residents come out in large numbers, demonstrating their support for those in their community battling multiple sclerosis,” said Karen E. Butler, National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, vice president of marketing and public relations. “Our West Haven walk site planning committee does an exceptional job rallying the troops, bringing people together from all walks of life for a single cause – the fight against MS.”

This year, the chapter expects to raise $1.3 million. Check in for Walk MS begins at 8 a.m. Participants step out at 9 a.m. Lunch is provided compliments of Subway and Coca-Cola. Walk MS community partners include News 8, WUVN/WHTX Univision and WUTH Telefutura and Clear Channel Radio Connecticut, which includes The River 105.9, Country 92.5, KISS 95.7, 97.9 ESPN, 1410 Fox Sports AM, KC 101.3, 960 WELI, and ESPN 1300 AM. Other community partners include 95.9 The FOX, WCTY 97.7 and La Puertorriqueñisima 1120 AM.

There is no fee to register. However, participants are encouraged to raise funds. To learn more about Walk MS or to pre-register for the 2014 Walk MS, presented by Travelers, please visit www.ctfightsMS.org.

2/12/14

About the Connecticut-Rhode Island Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society

The Connecticut Chapter strives to provide knowledge and assistance to help people with MS and their families maintain the highest possible quality of life. These goals are achieved through vital national and local programs.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are leading to better understanding and moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

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