WATERBURY, Conn. – It was December 2008 when Thomaston resident Kacey Sullivan received some troubling news – she was living with an autoimmune disease for which there is currently no cure. Leaning on the support of family and friends, Sullivan decided that she would not let her diagnosis keep her Irish spirit down. Instead, she would use it to help lift others up.
Sullivan woke up one morning in late November 2008, with numbness and tingling on the entire left side of her body. She was dizzy, off balance, and had double vision. The next month, after an MRI and spinal tap she received a confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease.
“I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in December, but my husband, Ryan, and I decided to start the Sully’s Shamrocks Walk MS fundraising team shortly thereafter,” shared Sullivan, now 39. “We took part in our first walk in April 2009.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, like Sullivan, are affected by multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure for MS. Symptoms can include, among other things, numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
Each year, the team is determined to raise more money to fund a cure for multiple sclerosis than they did the previous year. This year, the lucky number is $25,000.
“The first year we participated in Walk MS we raised $6,500 and in the second year we increased it to about $8,500,” explained Sullivan. “By our third year, we wanted to try something new to help reach our fundraising goal, so we organized a pasta dinner.”
The first Sully’s Shamrocks Pasta Dinner was a huge success and the team has been coordinating the event each year since. This year, the Sully’s Shamrocks Pasta Dinner will take place Tuesday, November 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the AOH Club in Waterbury.
“In 2011, our Walk MS team was able to raise $20,434 and in 2012 we raised more than $23,600,” said Sullivan. “Each year, we are completely blown away by how much support comes our way.”
This year, Sullivan hopes that the dinner will raise between $7,000 and $8,000 dollars for her Walk MS team.
Last year, Sully’s Shamrocks was made up of more than 300 friends and family members who all walked in hopes that one day, their efforts may help fund a cure for MS. In all, more than 10,000 participants stepped out or rolled out for the 2014 Walk MS and raised $1.3 million.
This year, the 2015 Walk MS, presented by Travelers, will be held at 11 sites across Connecticut over two weekends: Saturday, April 18, Sunday, April 19, Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. The event offers two options, a 2.5 mile-route and a 5-mile route. The fully accessible venues also feature finish line festivities and lunch compliments of Subway Restaurants and Coca-Cola.
Funds raised through fundraising events such as this one ensure ongoing scientific research to find better treatments and a cure as well as the continuation of local programs and services offered by the Connecticut Chapter to those it serves.
The Sully’s Shamrocks Pasta Dinner will take place Tuesday, November 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the AOH Club, located at 91 Golden Hill Street, in Waterbury. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years of age and under. In addition to the dinner, the event will feature great drawing prizes and a silent auction.
For more information on the Sully’s Shamrocks Pasta Dinner, contact Ryan Sullivan 203-509-5356. For more information on the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s Walk MS, visit www.ctfightsMS.org.
11/3/14