KJA Ventures raises $2.5k for multiple sclerosis charity MS Canada

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

An ambassador for MS Canada, Sherri Mytopher, has organized fundraisers to raise money for research since 2017. Mytopher was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 2013. (Ed Hitchins, Energeticcity.ca)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local business raised $2,500 for multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

KJA Ventures hosted its first community barbecue at its storefront on Friday, May 30th, for MS Canada to mark MS Awareness Day.

MS ambassador Sherri Mytopher, a woman promoting advocacy in the region while battling the disease, posted to Facebook about the total.

“Thank you to the staff for the barbecue they put on,” wrote Mytopher. “Thank you to the community, the sponsors and of course, KJA for putting this fundraiser on.”

KJA Ventures owner Kashmeer Aligour said although this was the first year, the event had a great turnout, and he believes this could become an annual event.

“We have a lovely community that supports [us],” said Aligour. “We would love to [do it] again next year.

“[This was] the first time we did it. We didn’t have much advertising. Hopefully we’ll prepare a little bit better next year.”

An autoimmune disorder, MS affects the central nervous system. Currently 90,000 people suffer from the disease nationwide, according to the MS Canada website.

Mytopher told Energeticcity.ca totals from additional drives from other businesses’ fundraisers will be released soon.