The Second Melfort Girl Guides had an important job at the Melfort MS Walk. They cheered walkers on and gave them pieces of watermelon and bottled water.
“We cheer people on to make them feel more confident,” said Ashlin Wallington, one of the Guides. “We think it’s really helpful because if people didn’t have the confidence to do it, they probably wouldn’t want to do it.
They weren’t the only organization to help out the May 28 walk. The Air Cadets led the walk off. The Pathfinders ran the children’s area. The Amateur Radio Club marshalled the walk. The SaskTel Pioneers took care of the barbeque.
“It’s one of the biggest fundraisers for the MS Society,” said Stephanie Taylor, the walk’s co-ordinator. “The money raised goes towards research and our ultimate aim is to find a cure for MS.”
As of the end of the walk, there was $18,300, with more expected to come within the next two weeks.
Laurie Murphy, the Saskatchewan MS Society’s programs and services director, said among the communities she goes to, Melfort is quite generous.
“Melfort has been a very strong community. They have been very successful at not only reaching their target fundraising goals, but surpassing them. It’s a very, very giving community.”
There were more than 75 walkers and 11 teams on the walk. All of them would have passed by the Girl Guides, who were working towards earning the Lady Baden-Powell badge.
“It is our highest honour and we want to participate in it to earn it, so we had to do a community project and spend at least 11 hours on it,” Payton Brady said.
This was the second event the Guides helped out with. The first one was a sock hop for the North East Outreach and Support Services.
“We’re just really excited to have everybody come together and just really support people with MS, both here in the community and throughout the province,” Taylor said.
Murphy said the money raised by the event was important.
“It is important because we want to be able to fund world-class research to find new treatments, the cause of MS and, ultimately, find a cure.”
She added the society also has programs and services that aim to enhance the quality of life for those with multiple sclerosis.
Melfort, Tisdale and Nipawin all have support groups for the condition.
“They come together,” Murphy said. “It’s for mutual support, talking about best practices, helping to network when it comes to whatever services and programs in their own community, and bringing in the people who are newly diagnosed and help guide them on that journey with MS.”
Taylor said the walk has another important function.
“It’s also just showing people who live with MS that we’re here and we want to help you out and we want to find a cure for MS.”
Murphy said it was an exciting time in Saskatchewan for research into the disease. There are now two MS specialist neurologists in the province and the MS clinical research chair is based out of Saskatoon.
The race co-ordinator also acknowledged the efforts of the volunteers, walkers, donors and sponsors in making the event possible.
