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Introduce yourself
Explain you are speaking on behalf of the MS Society and would like to share a video with them about MS and the organization. If you do not have the manifesto DVD or do not have the capability to play a DVD, just use the key messages below to explain the disease.
About MS and the National MS Society (play the manifesto video)
Key messages: About MS
- Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. It is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
- Every hour of every day someone is newly diagnosed with MS.
- Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men contracting the disease.
- Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
- MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn't.
- The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in each person cannot be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.
Share your story
- Tell them how MS affects your life and what you are doing to move forward and how you have joined the movement.
- Find a way to segue into the following topic by talking about how the MS Society has helped you move forward in some way.
Who does the MS Society serve?
The society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS and helps each person address the challenges of living with MS.
- People living with MS. There are an estimated 9,000 people living with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, approximately 400,000 in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
- Their families and friends
- Doctors, nurses and health professionals
- Anyone who wants to do something to end MS now
What is the Chapter doing to move lives forward
- Programs and education for people with MS, their families and the general public
- Educational, support, financial, leisure and recreational programs
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Special events
- MS Sno Rally Snowmobile Tour
- Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk presented by Anchor Bank
- Bike MS: Allianz Twin Cities Ride
- Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 Ride
- Bike MS: Star Tribune The Ride Across Minnesota
- On The Move Luncheon
- Ride MS: Motorcycle Tour
- Challenge Walk MS: Twin Cities
- Advocacy to create change for people living with MS
- Supporting research. The National MS Society supports more research than any other MS organization in the world.
How you can join the movement
- Volunteer
- Participate in events
- Advocate for change
- Donate
- Charitable gaming
- Learn about MS
- Raise awareness in your community
- (Hand out “Join the Movement” cards if you have them)
Closing
- Questions from the audience
- Thank them for their time
- Direct them to contact the Chapter for further questions