NORTH BATTLEFORD — In a display of solidarity and support, community members gathered on Sunday, June 1, for a fundraising walk dedicated to raising awareness and funds for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Approximately 75 participants took to the streets.
“Twenty-five years ago, we held our first fundraising walk, and we’re still here,” says rally co-ordinator Rhonda MacDonald.
The beginning of this journey was particularly poignant for MacDonald, as her mother was diagnosed with MS and endured nine spinal taps throughout her treatment.
“We never really had to try hard to get donations from the community; people just offered,” MacDonald notes. “I feel awkward asking for money, but this is a cause I feel lots of people believe in.”
Her sentiments resonated through the crowd, where many participants shared their stories and reasons for participating in the walk.
The 3.7-kilometre route took walkers from Discovery Co-op, looping around 19th Avenue to Territorial and back. A proud milestone was achieved during the event, as the fundraising efforts culminated in a total of $12,389 raised so far, with $5,000 collected on walk day alone.
Among the participants were seven individuals living with MS, with MacDonald’s mother being one of them.
The planning team, comprised of Rhonda MacDonald, Rylee Hellofs, Kaitlin Inkster and Pamela Connor, worked to co-ordinate the event.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support from local sponsors, including co-op, Patterson Media, Dynamic Appraisals, Visual Eyes Optics, Sheena Muirhead, Dona Connor, Capitol Theatre, the Laliberte family and Aurora,” MacDonald says.
