Volunteers needed for Multiple Sclerosis Walk
Four hundred thousand people in the United States are living with multiple sclerosis, and 2.5 million with multiple sclerosis worldwide.
Two hundred new cases are diagnosed nationwide each week.
Saturday, April 29 will mark the 14th annual Fargo Multiple Sclerosis Walk. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is hosting the event.
Volunteers are needed to help in the office the week before the walk (April 24 through 28) and on site the day of the walk.
Office volunteers would work between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to help fill goody bags for participants, answer phone calls, prepare supplies and fold T-shirts.
On-site volunteers would mark the route, control traffic, greet participants as they arrive, hand out red bandannas to participants, and help facilitate the even in general.
The event will begin at 10 a.m. and participants may choose to complete a 3- or 6-mile walk and also collect pledges from sponsors.
Organizers seek a licensed EMT to work on site and licensed massage therapists to give mini massages to participants during the walk. The society would also like a photographer to provide pictures for its Web site. Volunteers would be trained and coordinated a few days prior to the event.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was founded in 1946 to determine the causes, research a cure, provide information and support for persons living with MS and their families and friends and raise public awareness.
After the walk, 40 percent of the raised money goes to national research programs, while 60 percent goes to local education programs in North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.
MS is an autoimmune disorder that affects the nerves’ ability to carry electrical impulses, resulting in fatigue, loss of balance and coordination, dizziness, depression and speech disorders.
In severe cases, MS can cause blindness or paralysis. The symptoms are often unpredictable and come and go without warning.
MS can affect anyone, but it affects women two to three times more than men. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
Currently, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but drugs and therapies are available to control the disease and slow its progression. Physical and occupational therapy help preserve and restore functions necessary for independent living.
People interested in volunteering or walking should contact Amy Tapper, special projects coordinator, at 235-2766 or Kelly Boeddeker, area manager, at 235-2678.