CANDEE M&MS

This is Team Candee m&MS' 16th year walking toward a world free of MS!

How blessed I am! 

September 2024 marks the 16th year since my diagnosis at the University of Penn after experiencing double vision.  Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information between the brain and body. MS is different for everyone, and that makes it all the more challenging to solve, but I have been greatly blessed.  

2024 also marks the 16th year that I will be walking for the cause surrounded by friends and family.  Our team has grown over the years and I couldn't be more appreciative (and humbled!) by their support.  

We have raised a couple hundred thousand dollars ourselves over the last 16 years through a variety of fundraisers, including Applebee's Flapjack breakfasts and Burgers for a Cause, Rita's Water Ice nights, Dairy Queen fundraising nights, a car wash & bake sale, Wawa shorti vouchers, Bon Ton Community Days, Dan Schantz Monthly Madness, Chick-Fil-A scratch-off meal cards,  Dine to Donate night and a bake sale at Texas Roadhouse, and also a fundraising weekend at Gramia's Restaurant.

...and then there are those people who simply donate out of the goodness and generosity of their hearts without receiving anything in return. There are many people who fall into this category and please know how grateful I am!  Your donations have helped fund and further the good work of the National MS Society.  I have personally benefited from the advances made in research which has been funded by the Society.  Early diagnosis and early treatment are of utmost importance with MS.  Thanks to medical advances made years before I was diagnosed, there were approved medications available when I needed them.  Ten years prior to my diagnosis, there were only experimental drugs.

I've been taking a daily injection since 2008 and I really believe that the daily meds, coupled with daily prayer, have enabled me to be doing great 16 years later.  I owe a debt of gratitude to those who have fundraised before me and who made my experience with MS better than it would have otherwise been.  That is the reason why I feel so strongly about continuing to fundraise...so we can make it even better for those being diagnosed today. Ultimately, our goal is to create a world free from MS! 

When it comes to supporters, I would be remiss if I did not mention Jim Bell, my hiring manager at Air Products, who has always had my back since my diagnosis.  He has consistently donated to our WALK MS team in a way that can only be described as unBELLievable and for which I am most grateful! 

The money raised for WALK MS 2024 will continue to drive groundbreaking research, provide life-changing programs and guarantee a supportive community for those who need it most.  

Thanks in advance for your donation which is an investment in my future and the future of all those with MS!

Our team's motto is WALK ON!  Please join us!

Candee and Team m&MS