Jenn Hingston’s team turned out to Sunday’s Langley MS Walk sporting bring orange antennas on their heads.
“We just wanted to make it fun,” said Hingston, who has MS herself.
Their team was one of several groups that lined up just after 10 a.m. and headed off from Langley City’s Douglas Park.
The short three kilometre walk is part of the MS Society’s largest annual fundraiser for research and support for people with multiple sclerosis.
“It started off as just families,” said Hingston’s friend Jen Thomson, who is also supporter her mother who has MS.
More friends came on board and Jenn’s Walk Stars took part in the Langley walk for the first time this year.
Heidi Jakop of the MS Society said there are more than 100,000 Canadians with multiple sclerosis.
For unknown reasons, Canadians have a far greater risk of developing MS than people of any other country.
The cause of the disease, which causes attacks the central nervous system, is unknown. MS can cause loss of balance, extreme fatigue, impaired mobility, and vision impairment, among other issues.
The money raised through events like Sunday’s MS Walk – one of 18 taking place on the same day around B.C. and Yukon – will go towards both research into the cause and cure for MS, and into supporting patients and their families.
It was unknown exactly how much had been raised on Sunday morning as numerous people were turning up and dropping off pledges.
However, online pledges for the Langley walk had already topped $15,000 several days before the event.