The annual Jayman Built MS Walk presented by The Co-operators SAIK Insurance saw a healthy turnout of approximately 375 people according to Brenda Rosychuk, the organizer of the walk and the manager of the Lakeland MS Society.
“It went amazing. I find every year I’m a little more speechless and more blown away by the support shown throughout the Lakeland and from St. Paul,” said Rosychuk.
More than 45 teams registered for the event, now in its 12th year. They raised about $90,000, but Rosychuk said it’s important to note pledges will still be coming in until the end of June, so the final amount raised through the walk isn’t available yet.
“This is truly the gold standard of community based walks. Just to give a small sense of the impact this community has, if we take Edmonton per capita the money they raise on their walk is $0.41 per Edmontonian. If we look at Calgary, they’re a bit better, just under 1.3 million people they’re raising about $0.43 per person. This community here, you’re raising $21.81 per person,” said Carmen Rousselle, a council member of the Alberta and Northwest Territories Division of the MS Society.
“Today for me really showcases everybody’s acts of greatness, like I said in my speech, they come in many forms. Everyone participating today was doing an act of greatness, as well as our sponsors, our volunteers, and everyone involved in the organization. I think it’s compelling and heartfelt knowing people are continuing to have these acts of greatness,” said Rosychuk.
One team taking their participation in the walk to the next level was the St. Paul Fire Department, who took Sparky the mascot for a 5 km walk in the 20-degree heat. All the members participating, including Sparky, were wearing their bunker gear.
“We do it because of the degree of difficulty that people living with MS have to live with every day. It’s painful, it’s hard, so we decided that for us to show our support we wear our bunker gear and make it twice as hard for us,” said Derek Begg, the team lead.
According to Begg, the fire department got involved after some of his family became ill with multiple sclerosis and received support through Rosychuk and the MS Society.
“It makes me very thankful for my health. It’s sad to watch how much pain they go through day-to-day, how much they suffer with not having the freedom they used to. It’s tough seeing it,” said Begg.
He said he hopes the fire department will continue to muster a team every year, and that one day the research being funded through the walk will result in a cure for MS.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the protective covering of nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes. It causes symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of co-ordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with approximately 77,000 Canadians diagnosed.
