Mar 23, 2009
Entertainment Abound at SDCCU Walk MS April 4 at NTC Park
Plenty of entertainment and refreshments, as well as fund-raising and exercising for a good cause, will be part of the National MS Society’s San Diego County Credit Union Walk MS 2009, a fund-raising walk on Saturday, April 4, at NTC Park in Point Loma. About 4,000 people are expected to raise nearly $800,000 for MS research and services and programs for people with MS, a chronic, unpredictable and disabling neurological disease of the central nervous system with no known cause, cure or prevention.
Live music will be featured at the event by the band Side Jobz, known for their upbeat, danceable, classic rock selections. In addition, there will be games and give-aways from radio stations KyXy and Radio Sophie. Scheduled to appear at Walk MS 2009 are Jennifer White, morning disc jockey heard on Sophie @ 103.7-FM, and Gene Knight, afternoon disc jockey heard on Soft Rock KyXy 96.5.
The honorary chairperson of Walk MS 2009 is television weather anchor Pat Brown, who will emcee the event. Brown, seen weekday afternoons and evenings on KNSD-TV NBC 7/39, has served as a member of the Society’s board of trustees since the late-1980s.
For small children at Walk MS 2009, there will be a Kids Zone including games, lemonade, popcorn and a bounce house.
A variety of refreshments will keep energy levels high at the fund-raiser. Walkers will enjoy muffins from Souplantation, coffee from Don Francisco’s Gourmet Coffee, pizza from Papa John’s, juices from Langers Juice Co., Pepsi and other treats. At previous Walk MS events, walkers have consumed 8,000 pizzas, 6,000 bread sticks, 500 pounds of salad, 110 gallons of coffee, 200 liters of juices, 4,500 cans of soda and lots and lots of bottled water.
Sponsors make it possible for Walk MS to be a fun time for all. For the eighth consecutive year, San Diego County Credit, the largest credit union based in San Diego, is the Walk MS title sponsor. Presenting sponsors include NBC 7/39, Pepsi, Radio Sophie, KyXy 96.5, LEGOLAND® California, Continental Airlines and Sycuan Resort & Casino. Platinum sponsors include Frazee Paint & Wallcovering, Langers Juice, Papa John’s Pizza, Wal-Mart, Modern Postcard, Roel Construction, 7-Eleven, SDG&E and Energy for Others, Souplantation, ProFlowers and Acorda Therapeutics.
Now in its 20th year in San Diego, Walk MS is known for drawing a large number of teams representing businesses, neighborhoods, clubs, community groups, churches and family members and friends of a person with MS. Many teams come up with a team name and outfit their members with costumes, including T-shirts, hats or balloons. All it takes is four or more people to form a team. Register at www.MSwalk.com. The event web site offers tools that allow walkers to create their own personal and team web page, collect donations and send-out e-mails to team members and donors.
Walkers are encouraged to solicit sponsors to raise funds; the average walker in 2008 raised $279 – however there is no charge to be a walker. Walkers can earn prizes, including T-shirts, movie tickets and gift cards, based on the amount of donations they collect.
NTC Park, a waterfront park on the grounds of the former Naval Training Center, is located at 2750 Womble Road at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
“Walk MS isn’t just an effective fund-raising tool in the movement toward a world free of multiple sclerosis, it’s a day to celebrate the power of a community coming together,” said Rich Israel, president of the National MS Society’s San Diego-based Pacific South Coast Chapter. “The sooner you get started with fund-raising, the quicker your dollars will start making a difference. Register today and begin building your team. Walk with us and join the celebration. It’s time to get moving.”
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About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. 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 moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Last year alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. Locally, the Pacific South Coast Chapter provides programs and services designed to help the 18,000 people and families affected by MS in San Diego, Orange and Imperial counties move their lives forward. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested approximately $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. Nearly $4 million is spent on MS research in our area annually. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at www.nationalmssociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800- 344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
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