On May 28, 2017, 90 people gathered in Trail for the Scotiabank MS Walk at Gyro Park and raised over $15,000 to end Canada’s disease: multiple sclerosis.
The event was a success thanks to combined efforts of participants, volunteers, staff, and sponsors.
Trail was joined by 17 other communities throughout British Columbia, all walking and raising funds for critical research into the cause, treatment and cure of multiple sclerosis, and services for those affected by the disease. The event, organized by the MS Society of Canada, took place in May all across the country with more than 30,000 Canadians participating in 125 different communities.
Participants included people living with MS and their friends and families, along with others in the community supporting the cause. Walkers gathered under sunny skies at Gyro Park for opening ceremonies with emcee Helen Bobbitt. The event provided kid’s activities, including slack-lining, and a group warm up of yoga led by Elisha Brattebo. Walkers were then lead by the Trail Pipe Band as they headed out on the route for a 3 km or 5 km walk. Upon return, participants were served a BBQ by the Rossland Volunteer Firefighters and entertained by singer Brody Thompson and dancers from Kootenay Dance Works.
MS is an unpredictable disease that affects different people in different ways. The effects can be physical, cognitive, and financial. In addition to raising funds, the MS Walk in Trail aimed to raise awareness of the symptoms of MS by including rest stops along the route with unique “mission moment” activities providing participants with a sense of what the symptoms of MS feel like. These included wearing gloves while tying shoe laces to simulate numbness in the hands, and throwing a ball at a target, while wearing swim goggles coated with Vaseline, to simulate blurred vision. Participants also passed signs on the route with jumbled lettering to simulate confusion and cognitive impairment, and demonstrate that things that may seem simple can be very difficult for someone living with MS.
The MS Walk was made possible by presenting sponsor Scotiabank, and provincial sponsors Bell Media and Black Press. Local sponsors included Kootenay Columbia Home Medical Equipment, EZ Rock, and The GOAT FM. The MS Society would like to thank all the participants, volunteers, sponsors, and donors who supported the Scotiabank MS Walk 2017. The next fundraising event for MS Society is the MS Bike Experience, which starts with the Fraser Valley Experience on July 15 and 16th and includes three other experiences including MS Bike West Kootenay on Aug. 19 and 20. Visit www.msbike.ca for more information.
For more information about the Scotiabank MS Walk, the public may visit mswalks.ca or call 1-604-689-3144. To learn more about MS and the activities of the MS Society of Canada the public may visit mssociety.ca.