Walk MS Expected to Surpass $1 Billion This Year

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Since 1988, hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in Walk MS events across the country raising critical funds and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This year, the cumulative fundraising is expected to surpass $1 billion.

“Walk MS is a joyous gathering with a wonderful ‘we’re in this together’ feeling,” said Cyndi Zagieboylo, President and CEO of the National MS Society. “Every participant, volunteer, donor and sponsor is helping to drive us toward this exciting $1 billion milestone. Together, we are accelerating progress in making life-changing breakthroughs so that each person with MS can live her or his best life.”

More than 1,200 people are expected to raise more than $175,000 at Walk MS: West Hartford on May 21. This includes the communities Hartford, Farmington, New Britain and Wethersfield. Walk MS is an opportunity for people living with MS and those who care about them to connect, join together, and be inspired. In 2016 alone, nearly 300,000 people at more than 550 locations across the country walked to create a world free of MS, raising nearly $50 million.

Genentech, Novartis and Sanofi Genzyme are national sponsors of Walk MS.

WHEN: May 21, 2017, 9am check-in; 10am start
WHERE: University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, Connecticut 06117
PARTICIPATION/ VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION: Visit walkMS.org, call 855-372-1331 or email fundraisingsupport@nmss.org.
WHY: Walk MS unites teams of families, friends, neighbors and co-workers to raise funds that drive groundbreaking MS research, provide life-changing services and guarantee a supportive community for those who need it most.
HASHTAGS: #walkMS and #WalkTogether

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are leading to better understanding and moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million worldwide.

For more information about multiple sclerosis and the National MS Society go to nationalMSsociety.org or call 800-344-4867.