Organizers of this year’s St. Albert MS Walk hope more people will raise more money for multiple sclerosis than last year.
Nick Dehod, a spokesperson for the MS Society of Canada, said if all goes according to plan, 300 participants will raise more than $70,000 at tomorrow’s walk in support of a disease that is more prevalent in Canada than anywhere else in the world.
“There’s been new stats that have come out in the last year or so that show Canada has the highest rates of MS in the world,” he said. “We’re trying to educate the public that MS is very much Canada’s disease.”
There are 100,000 Canadians living with MS, and 14,000 of them are in Alberta. It’s not clear what causes the condition, which is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 and 40. It can affect vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility.
Dehod said money raised would be split, with half going to support those suffering from MS with programs and services, and the other half going to help fund research. Much of that research takes place close to home.
“There’s a lot of ground-breaking research happening in this country, and when a cure is found it’s likely that it will come from Canada,” he said.
Andrea Mazzotta was recently diagnosed with MS and said the fundraising walk has meant a lot to her not just because of the money raised, but because of the support it shows from family, friends and community members.
“It’s just the outpouring of support you get from people in your own life and it ripples out,” she said. “People in the community, then people in the city, then people within the nation … it’s pretty crazy.”
For Blair Yaworsky, a long-time participant in MS Walks in support of his sister who was diagnosed 15 years ago, showing support for events like an MS Walk and other charity drives is a no-brainer.
“We like to get out to beat the bushes and drum up support so that not only can my sister carry on and lead a long and healthy life, but other people across Canada and across the world are able to benefit from this money that’s being raised for research,” he said.
While the money raised is by no means insignificant, he said just knowing people want to help and show support alleviates some of the stress associated with MS, which is a big factor in the decline of health.
“Being able to relieve that and give them hope, give them some support, and the ability to put a smile on their face and let them know they’re loved and supported is only going to help them in the long run,” Yaworsky said.
The walk starts at 10 a.m. at Riel Recreation Park, with having the option of a two-km and five-km accessible route through the Sturgeon River Valley. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://bit.ly/1JqoNEj.
