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$19,600 raised at Melfort MS Walk

MELFORT — A group of eight women has taken over the organization of the Melfort multiple sclerosis walk.
Melfort MS Walk 2018
Approximately 70 walkers participated in this year’s multiple sclerosis walk in Melfort. The event raised $19,644.95 for the fight against the disease. Photo by Devan C. Tasa

MELFORT — A group of eight women has taken over the organization of the Melfort multiple sclerosis walk.

“Stephanie Taylor had been the organizer for about eight years and she’s done a great job and she left us a great blueprint to follow,” said Pat Dolo, one of those eight women. “One of the members of our group has struggles with MS and so we looked around and thought maybe we could do it.”

That person is Sandra Ryhorchuk, who’s serving as the committee’s honorary chairperson.

Dolo said the committee has been working on organizing the event since January. She said the MS Society of Saskatchewan has been quite helpful. They also decided to follow how Taylor organized the event, sticking with what works.

The May 27 event raised $19,644.95, which goes towards new research on drugs, ways to improve the lifestyle of people with multiple sclerosis, support programs and financial assistance programs. Around 70 walkers registered for the event.

For Dolo, it’s the statistics that drive her to be involved in organizing the event. Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, with 137,000 people nation-wide dealing with the disease – 1 in 340.

“In all of Canada, Saskatchewan is the epicentre of Canada. Currently, we have 3,700 people with MS,” she said. “We have more people with MS [per capita] than anywhere else in the world here in Saskatchewan.”

Nobody knows why there’s so many cases of multiple sclerosis in the province. In general, it seems the further from the equator someone lives, the more likely they are to get the disease, as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the U.S. also have high rates of multiple sclerosis.

There’s two multiple sclerosis specialists in the province, with one being a clinical research chair.

“Part of the reason why he came here to Saskatoon from the U.S. is because there are so many people to base his studies on,” Dolo said.

The organizer said the hope is to find a cure, especially since Saskatchewan has such a big stake in this, as it’s possible we could get it, our children could get it and our grandchildren could get it.

Also helping out at the event was the Melfort Amateur Radio Club, which kept lines of communication open; the Melfort Air Cadets, which started the walk off carrying a banner; and the Melfort Girl Guides, who provided refreshments as they worked to earn a Lady Baden Powell award. The local organizers also held a barbeque and served dinner at a Chase the Ace.

“We have had fabulous support from the community of Melfort,” Dolo said.

Dolo said she hopes more people will attend the event next year.