Pair of events to boost funds for multiple sclerosis research during MS Awareness Month

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Businesses around Fort St. John will be hosting events in an effort to raise funds in the battle against multiple sclerosis (MS) during MS Awareness Month.

A neurological disease of the central nervous system, MS affects approximately 90,000 people across Canada, according to the MS Canada website. 

Sherri Mytopher is the organizer of MS-related events in the Peace region and an ambassador for MS Canada. For her, the disease hits close to home.

It was back in 2013 when Mytopher experienced numbness in her body, starting with her back and eventually “from her shoulder to her right foot.”  

It would be another several months, during which an MRI scan occurred, before a diagnosis of MS was given.

She began holding fundraisers in 2017, including annual pub nights.

“It does vary day to day. Some days are great and some days aren’t,” said Mytopher. “Numbness is one of my predominant symptoms that I have all the time, numbness and the pain.

“It can vary from fatigue to slurred speech, some cognitive and memory issues, bad balance, those are the things that I experience more commonly than not.” 

MS is a disease where symptoms and duration vary between each patient, and 43 is the average age of diagnosis.

In Fort St. John on Saturday, May 24th, a pub night will be held at The Canadian Brewhouse on 9203 100th Street from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

A ticket can be purchased for $30, which includes a Canadian burger and fries. An MS silent auction will be held during the evening. 

For every ticket purchased, $10 will go toward MS research. 

On Sunday, May 25th, an MS walk will be held starting at the Pomeroy Sports Centre at 9324 96th Street, with registration beginning at 10 a.m.

Participants will walk around the city block, approximately one kilometre, beginning at 11 a.m.

One week later on Friday, April 30th, a BBQ fundraiser will be hosted by KJA Ventures which promises attendees a day of “food, music and community fun.”

Mytopher says it was through regular conversations with KJA Ventures’ owner Jason Aligour, who has participated in donating to the pub night since its beginning.

“[Aligour] actually reached out to me this year to say ‘we’ve never done a barbecue,” said Mytopher. “It happened that he wanted to do it on [May] 30th, and I said, ‘hey, that’s World MS Day. So it was perfect timing.’”

The BBQ will be by donation, with all the proceeds going toward MS research.

Mytopher’s advocacy has led to initiatives such as a fundraising drive at Olive Tree, which is donating $1 from every order throughout May to MS Canada, or at Audilicious, where $5 from each burger sold goes to MS research as well.

She’s also spoken to councils in Dawson Creek, Hudson’s Hope, Pouce Coupe and Fort St. John, which has recognized May as MS Awareness Month and has raised the flags outside municipal buildings.

“I initially started with the walk, the community just rallies around,” said Mytopher. “The last eight years I’ve built good relationships with so many people in this community. 

“It’s really great to have that support and then have that visual too [to say] our city is on board with this as well. I think those things, that’s all we can do. Just keep being out there and in the face and help raise awareness for MS.”

Information about the events is available on Peace Region MS events’ Facebook page. To purchase tickets for the pub night, please call Mytopher at (250) 263-8058.