Seventh Annual Beer Tasting for Team Jenifer Walk MS Fundraising Team

CHESHIRE, Conn. – For the past six years Cheshire residents have ushered in spring with a tip of a mug or stein whilst at Team Jenifer’s March Beer Tasting. The annual tradition, featuring some of the best micro brews available, welcomes spring and the start of Walk MS.

The seventh annual Team Jenifer Beer Tasting will be held Friday, March 23, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Lane Construction, located at 90 Fieldstone Courtin Cheshire. The event, sponsored by Cheshire Wine and Spirits, supports Cheshire resident Jenifer Walsh and her dedicated Walk MS team, Team Jenifer.

Admission is $30 per person, which includes food catered by Jeff Strange and West Main Grill in Cheshire and samples from more than 25 micro brews. Proceeds benefit Team Jenifer and the 2011 Travelers Walk MS, presented by North American Power, which in Cheshire will start and finish at Cheshire High School on Sunday, April 22.

Walsh, 47, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than a decade ago. Since her initial diagnosis, she and her family have worked tirelessly to inspire friends and relatives to help raise awareness and critically-needed funds to find a cure.

For several years the Walsh’s walk team has been ranked among the top five fundraising teams in the state. In 2011, Team Jenifer almost raised $30,000 as the top fundraising team at the Cheshire walk site. Her husband, Don, was the 2011 top individual walker in Cheshire. Last year he raised $24,245, $10,319 more than he raised in 2010.

Cheshire residents Farrah Fiedler and  Jenifer Walsh pose at last year's Team Jenifer Beer Tasting. Longtime friends, Fiedler and Walsh also co-host a spinning event to raise funds for MS. The seventh annual Team Jenifer Beer Tasting will be held Friday, March 23, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Lane Construction, located at 90 Fieldstone Courtin Cheshire. The event, sponsored by Cheshire Wine and Spirits, supports Cheshire resident Jenifer Walsh and her dedicated Walk MS team, Team Jenifer. The 2012 Travelers Walk MS, presented by North American Power, will be held at 12 sites statewide on Sunday, April 22. For more information, please visit www.ctfightsMS.org and click the Walk MS button.

More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, like Jenifer Walsh, live with the effects of multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and there currently is no cure. Funds raised through chapter events, such as the Travelers Walk MS, ensure ongoing scientific research to find a cure and the continuation of vital programs and services offered by the Connecticut Chapter to residents diagnosed with MS.

“Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and life altering,” said Jenifer Walsh, whose own MS has progressed to now affect her balance and gait. “My MS affects everyone in my family every day. Regardless, we are defiant and are doing all we can to move science forward in the quest for a cure.”

Last year’s beer tasting event attracted more than 400 guests from throughout the region and raised approximately $10,000. The tasting also features food, raffles and music.

Tickets should be purchased in advance by contacting Jenifer Walsh at 1-866-747-9518 or by e-mail at info@teamjenifer.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Cheshire Wine & Spirits, 581 Highland Ave., Cheshire.

The Travelers Walk MS, presented by North American Power, will be held Sunday, April 22, at 12 sites across Connecticut, including Cheshire, Clinton, Danbury, Enfield, Litchfield, Manchester, New London, Simsbury, Stamford, West Hartford, West Haven and Westport.

To learn more about supporting Team Jenifer, please visit www.teamjenifer.com. To establish a team or register for Walk MS, please contact the Connecticut Chapter at 860-913-2550 or visit www.ctfightsMS.org.

1/23/12