Moving Forward Together Towards a World Free of MS
MS Society of Canada hosts annual MS Walk in over 100 communities (in-person and virtual) across Canada on May 29
TORONTO, ON (May 18, 2022) – The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Canada will host its annual MS Walk from coast to coast this May during MS Awareness Month. On Sunday, May 29, thousands of participants will come together across the country to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS) and move forward together – their way – towards a world free of MS. To date, MS Walk 2022 participants have raised over $1.6 million in support of the more than 90,000 Canadians who live with MS.
The health and safety of the MS community remains a top priority. In adherence to public health guidelines, there will be over 40 in-person MS Walk sites across the country on May 29, as well as virtual options. Participants who are unable to attend an in-person event are encouraged to take part in the MS Walk in their own communities, however they choose to do so, throughout the month of May. A live-stream rally will also take place on May 29 at 12:00 pm ET to celebrate MS Walk with supporters across the country and recognize MS Awareness Month.
One of the objectives of the MS Walk is to raise awareness for MS and raise funds for ground-breaking MS research, including research surrounding the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A recent, and potentially game-changing, discovery from Harvard University shows that EBV plays a role in triggering the onset of MS. Understanding this link through further research could lead to the development of a vaccine to prevent MS. Participating in and raising funds through MS Walk will help accelerate research and move us closer towards a world free of MS.
“Whether you are attending your community location or walking in your own backyard, your support ensures that no one living with MS is alone in their journey,” says Pamela Valentine, President & CEO, MS Society of Canada. “Funds raised from the MS Walk allow the MS Society to continue to invest in fundamental research and take meaningful action for the one in 400 Canadians who live with MS and their support systems. Together, regardless of how or where you participate, we are moving closer towards a world free of MS.”
“It's important that this fundraising continues because it motivates us people living with MS. We know that the donations will help give us a better quality of life and may lead to a cure. Seeing the participants come together during the MS Walk encourages us to continue despite everything. Although it’s not always easy living with MS, we know that we are supported by the MS community,” says Stefanny Gaudet, 24, who has been living with MS for nine years.
MS Walk: Numerous Local Events Across Canada
The MS Society is proud to recognize the generosity and commitment of two MS Walk title sponsors in Western Canada – Jayman BUILT in Alberta and Saskatchewan Blue Cross in Saskatchewan. Participating in and fundraising through MS Walk (Jayman BUILT MS Walk in Alberta and Saskatchewan Blue Cross MS Walk in Saskatchewan) allows the MS Society to continue funding MS research and providing services dedicated to achieving a world free of MS and improving the quality of life for those impacted by MS.
For more information about the MS Walk and to find an option available in your preferred location, please visit mswalks.ca.
MS Walk Locations
British Columbia
In-person sites
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Fraser Valley
- Prince George
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Comox
- Cranbrook
- Delta
- Duncan
- Fort St. John
- Greater Trail
- Kamloops
- Kelowna
- Penticton
- Quesnel
Alberta
In-person sites
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Lethbridge
- Medicine Hat
- Red Deer
- St. Paul
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Brooks
- Drumheller
- Fort McMurray
- Grand Prairie
- Lloydminster
Saskatchewan
In-person sites
- Regina
- Saskatoon
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Battlefords
- Eastend
- Melfort
- Prince Albert
- Swift Current
- Yorkton
Manitoba
In-person sites
- Winnipeg
- The Pas
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Brandon
- Morden
- Portage La Prairie
Ontario
In-person sites
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- York Region
- Hamilton-Burlington
- Kingston-Belleville
- London
- Barrie
- Simcoe-Norfolk
- Windsor
- Stratford-Perth
- Niagara Region
- Grand River
- Durham Region
- Peel-Halton
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Brantford
- Caledon
- Chatham-Kent
- Collingwood
- Kawartha
- Kincardine
- Midland
- Muskoka
- North Bay
- Orangeville
- Orillia
- Peterborough-Northumberland
- Sarnia
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Woodstock
Quebec
In-person sites
- Montréal
- Québec
- Bas-St-Laurent
- Blainville
- Centre-du-Québec
- Chaudière-Appalaches
- Côte-Nord
- Lac-St-Jean
- Lanaudière
- Laval
- Mauricie
- Montérégie
- Outaouais
- Saguenay
- St-Jérôme
- West Island/Banlieue Ouest
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Abitibi
- Estrie
Atlantic Canada
In-person sites
- Charlottetown, PE
- Fredericton, NB
- Halifax, NS
- St. John’s, NL
Virtual MS Walk: Anywhere you choose to walk!
- Antigonish, NS
- Bridgewater, NS
- Corner Brook, NL
- Dalhousie, NB
- Miramichi, NB
- Moncton, NB
- New Glasgow, NS
- Saint John-Rothesay, NB
- Sydney, NS
- Truro, NS
About multiple sclerosis and the MS Society of Canada
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed every day. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). It is considered an episodic disability meaning that the severity and duration of illness and disability can vary and are often followed by periods of wellness. It can also be progressive. Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49 and the unpredictable effects of the disease will last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides information, support and advocacy to people affected by MS, and funds research to find the cause and cure for the disease, bringing us closer to a world free of MS. Please visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 for more information, to get involved, or to support Canadians affected by MS by making a donation.
Join the conversation and connect with the MS community online. Find the MS Society on Twitter, Instagram or like our page on Facebook.
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Sarah Greening – MS Society of Canada
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