Registration for MS Walk Up 44%

The Lakeland MS Society is gearing up for their 9^th annual Jayman Built MS Walk (and Run), which is taking place Saturday May 7th. Registration for the walk is up 44 percent from last year reports the Lakeland MS Society’s Senior Coordinator, Programs, Services & Development, Brenda Rosychuk.

Currently our Walk and Run registrations are up 44% from 2015 and our fundraising is currently $25, 798.75 and our goal is $134,000 this year!  “The wonderful support shown by this community and Lakeland area is amazing.  It truly is heartwarming to see everyone come together for the same cause,” says Brenda Rosychuk, Senior Coordinator, Programs, Services and Development for the Lakeland Regional office. “We seem to raise the bar higher every year, whether it’s by fundraising or telling our stories.  The Walk and Run is your chance to step-up and make a difference in the lives of those living with MS. That’s why we’re calling on the Lakeland area residents to register for the 2016 Jayman Built Lakeland MS Walk because Every Step Matters.” Says Rosychuk.

The walk can be as challenging or leisurely as you’d like, says Rosychuk. “The event offers a 2km, 5km and 10km Walk as well as 5km, 10km and half marathon run routes, which are officially Chip Timed by United Cycle,” says Rosychuk, who adds that you can even bike or rollerblade the event, “many young kids ride their bikes while the parents walk.”

The day kicks off with Registration/Check In and breakfast starting at 8:30am, opening ceremonies at 9:30am, events starting at 10am and lunch to follow with special guests Tianna Tanasichuk and Cassidy Zahar as our musical entertainment.

Fifty percent of the money raised from the walk stays local to assist patients in the Lakeland with treatment and programming. The remaining funds go to research in Canada.  If you would like to register or donate to the Lakeland MS Walk visit the MS Society online, mssociety.ca/chapter/lakeland-regional-office

What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). The disease attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin. Myelin is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibres. If damage to myelin is slight, nerve impulses travel with minor interruptions; however, if damage is heavy and if scar tissue replaces the myelin, nerve impulses may be completely disrupted, and the nerve fibres themselves can be damaged.

About MS

An estimated 100,000 Canadians are living with multiple sclerosis (MS). While it is most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40, we know that it can affect younger children and older adults.  MS has been diagnosed in children as young as two years old. MS is three times as likely to occur in women as in men and is more common in people of northern European background.  MS is unpredictable and can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes.

What causes MS?

Despite decades of research, the cause remains a mystery.  The best current evidence suggests that lifestyle, environmental, genetic and biological factors all contribute.