EDMONTON – Edmontonians came together on Sunday to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
Canadians have one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with three more people across the country being diagnosed with the condition every day.
Darrel Gregory, from the Alberta division of the MS Society, says the 300 volunteers and 2,000 people who took part in this year’s walk show how much it’s evolved over the years.
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“We’ve come such a long way,” he says. “We used to just have a few hundred walkers, we’d raise a few thousand dollars. Now our goal is about $735,000 so we’re able to help a lot more people.”
Gregory is confident that the goal will be reached.
Half the funds will go towards providing services, which range from support groups to specific exercise programs, for those with MS. The other half will go towards research.
“We understand we have to keep putting on the walk, which means we haven’t found a cure yet. But in the meantime, we have to keep being there for people in our community who live with MS to provide the services they need to improve their quality of life every day.”
He adds that the annual walk plays a vital role in that.
“We’re getting closer to finding a cure, we’re developing new treatments. So we’re getting there…we can’t let up.”
For more on MS, see our Fact Sheet.
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