First Pub Night!

Kick-off your RONA MS Bike Tour by joining the MS Society staff members at Moxie's Classic Grill in Windsor. Come by tomorrow, May 31, at 6 pm and connect with other participants while munching on free appetizers as the excitement builds for this year's ride! 

All of our pre-tour events are great for recruiting your family and friends to the bike tours – bring them along to learn about the RONA MS Bike Tours or use one of the pre-tour events for a Team Kick Off.

Click here for directions; http://bit.ly/m1i8dT

Here are the other upcoming Pub Nights:

· June 7, 6pm, Paddy Flaherty’s

· June 14, 6pm, Milestones Grill and Bar



Bike Month!

Now until June 21^st is ‘Bike Month’ in the city of Toronto!  Toronto's Festival for Cycling Culture showcases the importance of promoting and encouraging more bicycle commuting for everyone.  So, pump up those tires, dust off those helmets and pedal through the city streets to your heart's content.  It is also a great way to help get in shape for the upcoming RONA MS Bike Tours!

There are close to 150 events in the GTA that will happen over the course of ‘Bike Month’, including various activities that the whole family can enjoy!  Here are some of the events we’re looking forward to:

•  May 30, Bike to Work Day
• June 2, Breakfast for Bikers
• June 11, Toronto Island Tour of Trees
• June 26, Family Bicycle Parade

  

Visit the City of Toronto website for a full list 

of events and details.

Enjoy ‘Bike Month’, and we’ll see you at the RONA MS Bike Tours! If you haven’t registered yet, find the perfect tour for you at msbiketours.ca or, click here to register.

Dairy Queen Promotion!

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Get a cool summer treat when you register this week for a RONA MS Bike Tour! This Thursday, and Friday, register for the Grand Bend to London, Acton to Waterloo, or the Niagara Tour and our friends at Dairy Queen will reward you with a $5 gift card for one of their participating restaurants.

To take advantage of this offer, register by calling

1-800-268-7582 and request your $5 gift card. You can also visit us online and select the Dairy Queen promotion code when you register.

Please note that free registrations do not qualify for the promotion.

Can’t wait to see you out there!

Today Is World MS Day!

Here in Canada, we have one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world. Approximately 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians are currently living with MS, with 1-3 new cases diagnosed every day. Worldwide, over 2,000,000 people in the world have MS. The aims of world MS day are to raise awareness and mobilize a global movement!

World MS Day was launched on May 27, 2009 with over 200 events in 67 countries. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about MS and to strengthen the network of people living with MS across the world.

The theme this year is “Work and MS” with a focus on the role that employers can play in enabling people with MS to stay working.

You can learn more about World MS Day at the MS Society of Canada’s website: endMS.com and http://www.worldmsday.org

To show your support of World MS Day go to our ‘Social Media Tools’  site to change your Facebook status and picture to a MS Badge or Logo, or Tweet that you are ‘celebrating MS Awareness Month, recognizing MS Awareness Month, promoting MS Awareness Month, or is participating in MS Awareness Month.’  Or, think of your own Tweet to help promote World MS Day!    

Happy Victoria Day Long Weekend!

The MS Society would like to wish you a safe and happy Victoria Day Long Weekend!  Victoria Day holiday is celebrated on the last Monday on or before May 24, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday.  It also unofficially marks the beginning of the Canadian summer!

Here is a list of fundraising activities for the Victoria Day Long Weekend

·         Open the cottage, or go to a friend's cottage and watch them open it.  Instead of throwing out unwanted possessions, put on a garage sale to raise funds for the MS Society, one person’s garbage is another person’s treasure!

·         Go on a fishing trip, or let your spouse go and enjoy the peace and quiet at home.  Challenge friends to a fishing derby and ask friends or family to sponsor your efforts in seeing who can reel in the biggest catch!

·         Stay at home, dust off the gardening gloves and offer your neighbours yard work for a donation to your fundraising cause.   

·         Put on a BBQ for your family and friends.  Instead of asking them to contribute food and 

      drink, ask for a donation to your MS fundraising efforts.

·         Put on a fireworks show for your street on Victoria Day.  Ask for donations instead of contributions.  Remember to stay safe!

·         Or just take the extra day off to relax and enjoy your free time, long weekends don’t come around that often.

                                                        Photo by: Evans Photography 

The MS Society would like to thank you for your continued support and are excited to enjoy a very warm and sunny summer with you!

West Side Cycle Ride Cancelled

The West Side Cycle bike training ride on May 22 has been cancelled due to weather.  

Please refer back here soon for updates on a new date.  

Or check out their website: http://westsidecycleinc.com/

Everybody loves Summer Camp!

It’s the defining growing up experience when kids can be themselves, make friends, have fun, and where so much is learned!      

This summer the MS Society of Canada is proud to offer two unique and exciting camp programs for youth and teens affected by multiple sclerosis.

Activities for the MS Summer Camp for children and youth age 8-15 will include:

• Sports
• Nature studies
•  Performing arts
• Canoeing
• Swimming
• Overnight canoe trips to near-by Provincial Park on the Big Rideau Lake
• And much more!

 Activities for the MS Leadership Camp for campers aged 16-21 will include:

• Leadership development
• Learning self-sufficiency and self-confidence
• Traditional camp activities (swimming, canoeing, etc…)
• Two-day overnight canoe trip where they will develop skills in leading a group, grow in character and learn much more about the value in community and helping others
• And much more!

The camp is FREE to attend.  All costs associated with the camp (including travel) are covered thanks to a fifth year of generous funding from the RBC Foundation and Fondation Bergeron-Jetté.

For more information and a camp application please visit: mssociety.ca/camp

OR

Contact the Camp Coordinator at kidsandtenscamp@mssociety.ca.

Help your car, help end MS

Spring has arrived and it's the perfect time to perform some well-needed vehicle maintenance. 

Visit your local participating Mr. Lube location on Saturday, May 14 and $5 from every oil change will be donated to the MS Society of Canada as part of their Founder’s Day Campaign.

Click here to find a Mr. Lube location near you

“We are pleased to be partnering with the MS Society of Canada for the third year through our annual Founder’s Day Campaign as we recognize the founder of Mr. Lube Canada, Mr. Cliff Giese and his commitment to this important charity,” says Paul Healey, president and CEO of Mr. Lube Canada. “Since 2007, we have raised over $55,000 to support finding a cure for MS".

About Mr. Lube Canada

Mr. Lube Canada is Canada’s leading quick lube provider in the automotive routine maintenance category with 99 locations across Canada.  Founded in 1976, Mr. Lube Canada has served over 33 million customers in its 33 year history. Headquartered in Delta, BC, the company also has a regional office in Mississauga, Ontario to support its national franchise network. Since 2002, Mr. Lube Canada and the Mr. Lube Foundation have donated over $3 million dollars to national and local charities across the country.

MS Outdoor Spin Class

Looking for a great way to finally kick the winter blues while getting in shape for the upcoming RONA MS Bike Tours?! 

What better way to do that then to join our Yonge-Dundas Square Group Spin Class! 

On Friday May 13, bring your family, friends and co-workers to help us raise awareness for the RONA MS Bike Tours and multiple sclerosis by participating in an early morning spin class at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Bring your trainer* and bike for a chance to win some great prizes and help us attract the attention of Toronto media.

* Need help locating a trainer?, Ask your local bike shop if you can borrow one or rent one – they are also a great investment to help you train for the RONA MS Bike Tours.

FREE Parking will be available in the Yonge and Dundas Green P lot for everyone who RSVPs!

Please RSVP to Candice Stevens by May 10                                                         

Candice.stevens@mssociety.ca

Friday May 13, 2011

6:30 am – Registration begins

7:00 am – Spin class begins

8:30 am – Breakfast

8:45 am – Closing ceremonies and prizes

Can’t cycle? Feel free to come out and cheer on the participants!

Want to share your recent biking adventure?  Leave us a ‘wall’ post on Facebook or a ‘tweet’ on Twitter!  Your adventure may be featured in our next blog post!

May is MS Awareness Month

May has been MS Awareness month in Canada since 1975!  Over the past 36 years, thousands have helped raise awareness as well as financial support for MS research and services, and this year will be no different.  You can continue to show your support by participating in the events that the MS Society has planned for the month of May.  On May 5 to 7, don’t forget to buy your mother or loved one a carnation from one of our volunteers!  Also help raise awareness this month by spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter.  Together we will end MS.

This month, do your part to raise the profile of those touched by MS by doing any of the following activities:

• From May 5 to 7 make sure to participate in the MS Carnation Campaign! Volunteers will be selling carnations across Canada just in time for Mother’s Day.
• Donate your Facebook status to promote MS Awareness Month.
• Participate in World MS Day’s global petition on employment and MS.
• Print and post this year’s MS awareness posters.
• Read and repost important May Awareness Month press releases from the MS Society of Canada.
• Launch a “Dress for MS Day” in your office by wearing “MS” red and making a donation to the MS Society of Canada.  
• Join the MS research teleconference taking place May 11 at 6:30PM ET.
• Get an oil change at Mr. Lube on May 14. For every oil change done that day, $5 will be donated the MS Society of Canada.
• On May 25, acknowledge World MS Day by hosting a Global Dinner Party.

Make sure to get involved! Visit mssociety.ca for more details on what’s happening in your area and how to help out!