Big Bear Lake, CA, March 3, 2014 – National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Week starts today, and locals have already started collecting pledges for the annual Walk MS event along the Alpine Pedal Path. On May 3, the Southern California & Nevada Chapter of the National MS Society will kick off the festivities at North Shore Elementary School (765 North Stanfield Cutoff). Those wanting to get involved can sign up as a walker or volunteer online or by calling (909) 949-1363.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., with Opening Ceremonies at 10:00 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. Official Start. The 1k and 5k routes are 100% accessible and offer snacks and water at stationary rest stops. Individuals and teams can walk, roll or stroll along the shore of Big Bear Lake, then be rewarded at the finish festival with food, music, face painting, team booths, and sponsor giveaways.
Advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of Multiple Sclerosis, partly thanks to fundraising events like these. More than 500 walkers and volunteers are expected to help raise the goal of $40,000, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the 4,200 people living with MS in the Inland Empire.
Multiple Sclerosis is an often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness to paralysis, and are unpredictable from person to person. Most of the people afflicted are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
