Nov 17, 2008
San Diego County Credit Union Walk MS on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 26
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s San Diego-based Pacific South Coast Chapter has announced its two San Diego County Credit Union Walk MS 2009 fundraising walks will be held on Saturday, April 4, at NTC Park, 2750 Womble Road at Liberty Station in Point Loma, and on Sunday, April 26, at the LEGOLAND® California theme park in Carlsbad.
The two Walk MS 2009 fundraisers are expected to generate about $1.5 million in donations for MS research and services and programs for people with MS, a chronic, unpredictable and disabling disease of the central nervous system with no known cause, cure or prevention. Registration is now open at www.MSwalk.com.
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. For the eighth consecutive year, San Diego County Credit Union, the largest credit union based in San Diego, is the Walk MS title sponsor. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Check-in time is 7:30 a.m. for the Walk MS at NTC Park, a waterfront park on the grounds of the former Naval Training Center, and 7 a.m. at LEGOLAND. LEGOLAND will be closed to the general public during Walk MS and will open at the regularly scheduled time of 10 a.m. At the conclusion of the fundraiser, all walkers will be invited to re-enter the theme park at a discounted admission price.
At last year’s Walk MS events, 4,299 people walked and raised $884,435 in donations at NTC Park, and 3,518 people walked and raised $581,064 at LEGOLAND.
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.
Free snacks and beverages will be provided to walkers, plus live music and a festive finish line celebration. At previous Walk MS events, the menu has included pizza slices, chicken strips, salad, fruit, muffins, juice drinks, soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and popcorn.
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About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and 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 than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 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 home 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 over $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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For more information, contact:
Rick Griffin Public Relations
619-461-3104
rick@rickgriffin.com
Pacific South Coast Chapter
Beth Clark 760-448-8424
beth.clark@mspacific.org