A contingent of 200 people who raised at least $2,5000 each to fight multiple sclerosis is completing a three-day, 50-mile walk Sunday from the Flower Fields in Carlsbad to downtown San Diego.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Pacific South Coast Chapter is hosting this weekend’s 15th annual Southern California Challenge Walk MS. The walkers include 30 people who are living with MS, an unpredictable, disabling disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body.
“The Challenge Walk is the journey of a lifetime, a celebration of the human spirit, which will ultimately shorten the road to a cure for MS,” said Rich Israel, president of the Pacific South Coast Chapter. “It’s not so much about being athletic or physical endurance. But, rather, the Challenge Walk is about showing compassion and reaffirming a commitment to end the devastating effects of MS.”
The walkers raised about $700,000 in donations for MS research and programs and services for people affected by MS. Since 2002, the annual event has raises more than $10 million.
Sponsors of the walk include UltraStar Cinemas, Sanofi Genzyme, Biogen, Meze Greek Fusion restaurant, Albertsons and Veg Fresh Farms, which is also providing fruit to walkers at the event.