Apr 29, 2009
Success from support for first-ever Walk MS: Twilight at Heritage Shores
Carla Koss
According to spokespeople at the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the first-ever Walk MS: Twilight at Heritage Shores 2009 was a success this year for three very important reasons: more than 50 walkers raised an estimated $8,000, 20 volunteers donated their time and expertise, and the event’s sponsors contributed much-needed resources. Thanks to the walkers, thanks to the volunteers, and thanks to the sponsors, the annual event raised the money needed for national MS research and the programs and services needed by more than 1,500 Delawareans with MS and their families.
“We raise the most money per person with MS in the U.S.,” says Kate Cowperthwait, the chapter’s president, “and we do it because people know: We can’t fix your MS, but the people around you can help find a cure. The folks who come out to walk for MS and the volunteers and businesses that continue to support our effort, all agree with our mission—ending the devastating effects of MS.”
“The Society is at the forefront of the MS movement,” explains the Delaware Chapter’s director of development, Holly Maddams, M.P.A., C.F.R.E., “and we aren’t slowing down, because MS doesn’t slow down, even when the economy does. While we may be operating with a leaner budget, we will stay focused on what matters—moving closer to a world free of MS—because Delawareans with MS and their families will continue to turn to the National MS Society—perhaps more so now than ever before—and we must do everything we can to prepare to help each one of them address the challenges that they face.”
“Our events are the rallying point for the MS movement,” adds the chapter’s event coordinator, Jennie Welch, “and we encourage everyone to participate by doing what they can do, whatever that is. Even if they can’t raise money, being there is an important step. They can volunteer, recruit, or participate. All these investments in time and energy will pay off both this year and in years to come.”
About Walk MS: Twilight at Heritage Shores 2009
The nationwide movement against multiple sclerosis stepped off in Bridgeville this year on Friday, April 24, at 6:00 P.M. at the clubhouse at Heritage Shores. The event was one of five Walk MS events on the chapter’s expanded Spring schedule. The goal of the expanded schedule was to encourage people to continue to be pro-active, stay well-informed, and take advantage of the opportunities that can help more than 1,500 of their family members, friends, and neighbors who live with MS.
About multiple sclerosis
Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS. Most are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but among the more than 1,500 Delawareans with MS is a boy who will be 10 in May. MS affects more than 400,000 people nationwide, and more than twice as many women are diagnosed as men.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often-disabling disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. Symptoms range from tingling and numbness in the limbs to blindness and paralysis. In other words, MS stops people from moving.
Although the progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS cannot be predicted, advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve the quality of life for many people with MS.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a collective of passionate individuals who are
• moving together to create a world free of MS.
• moving research forward by relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatment, and a cure.
• moving to reach out and respond to individuals, families, and communities living with MS.
• moving politicians and legislation to champion the needs of people with MS through activism, advocacy, and influence.
• moving to raise $1.25 billion by 2010 to help create a world free of MS.
• moving to mobilize the millions of people who want to do something about MS now.
To this end, the National MS Society funds more MS research, provides more services to people with MS, offers more professional education, and furthers more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. Through a 50-state network of chapters—including the Delaware Chapter—the Society addresses the challenges of living with the disease.
To learn more, call (302) 655-5610. Or visit www.MSdelaware.org.