Canadians Come Together to Make Positive Impact During Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month This May

TORONTO, ON (April 24, 2024) — May is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month and MS Canada invites Canadians to join the MS community and navigate MS together. At MS Canada, we work to educate people on the impact of MS in our country and support people living with MS through funding research, driving advocacy, and providing support programs. MS Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and funds to support the over 90,000 Canadians living with the neurological disease. This May we ask Canadians to come together and raise awareness, celebrate the MS community, and have a meaningful impact across Canada. 

MS Awareness Month Moments

• Digital Carnation Pinning - May 1: On May 1st, everyone can support the MS community by participating in our digital carnation pinning campaign to raise awareness through social media platforms. Another way to participate is by helping us call on the government to make MS research funding a national priority. We’re encouraging the public to send a letter of support to their Member of Parliament. 
• MS Walk, May 26: Each year, MS Walk brings thousands of Canadians together to have fun, raise money, and show support for people living with MS. On Sunday, May 26th, volunteers, and participants will gather in over 50 communities across the country to walk for MS, with the goal of raising $4,000,000. MS Walk locations include Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Halifax, and many more. To learn more about a walk location near you visit mswalks.ca
• The May 50K – May 1 – May 31 - Run, walk, or roll 50 kilometers in May while fundraising for MS research and improving access to treatment in Canada and around the world. Together we will change the future of people affected by MS.
• World MS Day, May 30: World MS Day is a day to celebrate solidarity and hope for the future on a global scale. This year, the date focuses on sharing stories about the MS diagnosis journey to help shed light on how MS impacts everyone differently. Sharing lived experiences is a great way to help people better understand how to support those living with MS.

“MS Awareness Month is defined by active and meaningful participation. This May, we invite everyone to help us bring attention to the prevalence of the disease and need for support. There are many ways to join the MS community, you can volunteer with MS Canada, share accurate MS information on social media, or participate in the May 50K or MS Walk.” said Dr. Pamela Valentine, President and CEO, MS Canada. “MS Walk brings the MS community and their network, including caregivers, friends and family, all together for one day of collective action, moving us one step closer to a world free of MS.”

“As someone who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2020, I am no stranger to how overwhelming an MS journey can feel, " said Karen Jacoby, MS Canada Ambassador. “I volunteer during MS Awareness Month because I am driven by hope—and I encourage everyone to consider supporting the community, as I know firsthand the power that having other people demonstrating public support has had on my MS journey.”

This May, join the MS community as we navigate MS together, raising awareness on the complexities and realities that MS brings to the person living with it as well as their friends and family. Join us in advocating on behalf of the MS community to have equal access to care, prioritize MS research exploring pathways to cures, and access to social programs that improve quality of life.

For more information about MS Awareness Month, including how you can get involved, please visit mscanada.ca/msawarnessmonth.

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About MS Canada

At MS Canada, we are inspired by the vision of a world free of multiple sclerosis. We focus on support, advocacy and research that will positively impact the lives of people living with, and affected by MS. For over 75 years, we have been a trusted connection for the MS community to valuable resources and programs needed on their unique MS journey. We advocate for improved policies and systems that will better support Canadians living with MS. We invest in life-changing research that will advance treatment and care, enhance well-being, help to understand, and halt disease progression, and ultimately prevent MS. 

For more information visit mscanada.ca

About multiple sclerosis (MS)

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 neurological disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49. It is considered an episodic disability meaning that the severity and duration of episodes of illness and disability can vary, often followed by periods of wellness. It can also be progressive. 

Media Contact

Laila Namur 
Manager, Corporate Communications 
MS Canada
778 862 1712
Laila.Namur@mscanada.ca