Jul 10, 2009
West Hartford Volunteer Marks Milestone For National MS Society
Sean O'Leary, Communications Specialist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
West Hartford Volunteer Marks Milestone For National MS Society
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Over the course of a decade or more, there are few things that remain constant. Lillian Knight, however, is one of the few.
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| West Hartford resident Lillian Knight, right, shows National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter president Lisa Gerrol a book from the chapter’s library. Knight is marking her 15th year of volunteering for the Connecticut Chapter as the chapter’s librarian. “It is so rewarding because I have so many people that come to learn about the disease and then thank me for helping them,” she said. |
This year, the West Hartford resident will mark her 15 years of volunteering for the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter.
“I can’t believe it,” remarked Knight, who oversees the chapter library. “I just saw an ad and wanted to be a volunteer that would be doing more than stuffing envelopes. I had been a librarian and it seemed like a perfect fit. It’s been so wonderful and it’s amazing that it’s been 15 years.”
Prior to arriving as a volunteer for the Connecticut Chapter, Knight had been a librarian at the Harford Insurance Corporate Library until the early 1990’s. Though she knew little about multiple sclerosis when she took her new position, she was familiar with the battle against a neurological disease.
“My mother had Parkinson’s disease and I met so many people through her that were also fighting the disease,” Knight said. “That was the reason I wanted to give back and when I learned about people living with MS, it made sense to me.”
The librarian position allowed Knight an opportunity to read up on MS and its effects, just as many people in the state do when they or a loved one is diagnosed with the disease.
“It is so rewarding because I have so many people that come to learn about the disease and then thank me for helping them,” she shared. “There are so many people that are eager to learn the newest information and, personally, I believe this is the best resource in the state because we have all the information in one place.”
As Knight spoke, she revealed a letter she had received the day prior from someone living with MS who wrote to thank her briefly. “I get a lot of letters like this, it really means a lot,” she said.
Knight’s tenure and hard work has earned the admiration of the Connecticut Chapter staff.
“Lillian began volunteering with the chapter when I joined just short of 15 years ago,” said Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president and chief professional officer. “Since that time the chapter has relocated more than a few times. When other volunteers had to retire due to longer commutes, Lillian stayed the course – ready to continue making her mark against multiple sclerosis. We are fortunate to have someone like Lillian continue to partner with us in the fight against this difficult disease.”
The past decade and a half has been a time of tremendous growth for the Connecticut Chapter as staff has increased exponentially as has fundraising and outreach. The example that stands out to Knight is the evolution of the annual Walk MS event each spring. The Walk MS event when Knight started had four walk sites with 694 participants who raised $147,000. This year’s Travelers Walk MS had 12 walk sites with roughly 8,500 participants raising more than $1.2 million.
“When Walk MS started, it was nowhere near the event it is now,” she explained. “It’s become an incredible event that gets tremendous exposure. But all of the events we have now, they are all well-done, fun and getting better.”
There have also been changes in Knight’s duties, specifically the introduction of CDs and DVDs.
“People have really been interested in the listening or watching videos about MS,” said Knight. “For example, we now have CDs of recent presentations from researchers. It’s another improvement we’ve made.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents live with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating 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.
For more information on multiple sclerosis and the many ways the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter helps people with MS keep their lives moving forward, please visit www.ctfightsms.org.
7/10/09
Sean O'Leary
Communications Specialist
National MS Society - Connecticut Chapter
659 Tower Avenue, First Floor
Hartford, CT 06112
tel 860.913.2550, ext. 249
soleary@ctfightsMS.org
www.ctfightsMS.org