 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR WALK MS ILLINOIS PARTICIPANTS IN PEORIA & URBANA
Walk MS 2011 is Sunday, September 11! Thank you for
Joining the Movement to End MS and walking with us on Sunday. This email
contains important information you should review prior to event day.
Please read it all the way through. If you have any questions, please
call our Walk MS hotline at 1.888.343.1179.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS: TIMES, DIRECTIONS & MAPS | PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST | WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE | THANK YOU, TEAMS! | SPONSORS | WHAT IS MS? | ABOUT THE GREATER ILLINOIS CHAPTER | CONTACT US
TIMES, DIRECTIONS & MAPS
 Your Walk MS event page will tell you the specific registration and kick-off times for your Walk event. You can create personalized driving and (if available) transit directions from the following Google Maps links. For your convenience, these links are included on your Walk MS event page, as well:
Peoria WALK MS Parking:
Peoria participants may park in the following lots located near the Tower Park event site:
- John Pearl Insurance – located on Glen Ave East (across from Tower Park);
- Heights Bank – located on Samuel Ave East;
- Public Parking Lot – located on Duryea Ave East;
- Azura Boutique – located at the corner of Prospect (parking spaces behind store);
- Street parking is also available along Prospect and side streets, where permitted.
The designated handicapped drop-off zone will be clearly marked on Prospect Road, directly in front of the event site. Accessible parking will be available on-site behind the fire station.
Urbana Walk MS Parking:
Urbana participants can park on-site at the Meadowbrook Park Pavillion. Golf carts will be available to transport participants who need assistance to the registration area. The designated handicapped drop-off zone will be clearly marked. There is accessible parking available on-site.
All Walk MS routes are 100% accessible. The registration areas and walking routes for all Walk MS events are clearly signed and labeled. Once you are on site, registration, team tent, and restroom locations and the Start/Finish line will be easy to find.
To visit your Walk MS event page for more infomation, just select your Walk MS event from the list below:
PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST
 Dress for the weather.
Walk MS takes place Sunday, September 11, rain or shine. Please check the
forecast before leaving home and dress appropriately. If necessary,
bring sunscreen and a visor, a sweater or autumn jacket, or a rain poncho and extra pair of dry
socks.
- Bring a water bottle & snacks. Snacks and water
will be available at most Walk MS event sites. But just to be safe, you can
ensure staying happy and hydrated if you bring your own refillable water
bottle and small snacks.
- Print out directions to your Walk MS site. You
can use the Google link on every Walk MS event page to create
personalized driving and (if available) transit directions. Choose your
Walk MS event from the Details & Locations
page or from the list above. Then go there to create your personalized
directions, print them out, and bring them with you on event day. Your
Walk MS event page will also tell you when to arrive on site, and
include links to download important site and route maps in PDF format, if available.
 Print out your t-shirt voucher (pictured.) T-shirt vouchers will
be emailed to participants who have already submitted $125 or greater in
confirmed donations on Friday, September 9. Print out the voucher and bring
it wih you on event day. If you lose the voucher, don't worry, we'll
have your name at the t-shirt tent. (Additional vouchers will be
available at the Registration Tent for anyone wishing to make an on-site
donation that brings their total to $125 or greater.)
- Submit all online pledges by midnight Thursday, September 8. Submitting your pledges online before the event will ensure we'll have the most up-to-date information on event day.
- Fill out and seal your cash donation envelope. For cash and check donations, seal them in your pledge envelope, fill out all information, and be sure to include only the total amount of funds in the envelope. Bring this envelope with you on event day.
- Bring your friends. If last-minute friends, family, or co-workers would like to
walk with you, they can register online until 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 9 or in person at the Registration Tent on event day. Note: If your last-minute friends plan to register in person and want to qualify for a T-Shirt, make sure any registration checks written in advance are for at least $125.
- Don't stop fundraising. You have until September 30, 2011 to fundraise and qualify for the Tremendous 200 fundraising club (see below.)
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE
 Look for friendly official Walk MS Greeters: they'll be carrying orange pom-poms and are there to help guide you through the on-site Registration process.
- If you need to finish filling in forms or to complete and seal your pledge collection envelope: Go to the Writing Tables first, they will be located at the front of the Registration tent. The tables will be amply equipped with pens and calculators.
- If you have cash pledges to turn in: Go to the
Registration Tent (find its location on your Site Map) with your completed, sealed pledge collection
envelope. If you need to complete your pledge envelope, go to the Writing Table first. Don't worry if you don't have your envelope--we'll have plenty
of extras at the Registration Tent.
- If you don't have cash pledges to turn in: Skip the Registration Tent!
If you only received online donations or submitted your cash donations
ahead of time, there's no need to wait in the Registration line.
- If you have a t-shirt voucher: Go to the T-Shirt
Tent with your voucher. If you didn't remember to print out and bring your voucher, don't worry,
we'll have a list of all participants who have qualified for t-shirts at
the T-Shirt Tent. (Additional t-shirt vouchers will be available in
the Registration area for participants wishing to make an on-site
donation to acheive a fundraising total of $125 or more.)
- A note on waivers: If you registered online, there is no need to sign a printed waiver--you already signed a waiver electronically. If you are registering in person on event day, you will need to sign a waiver at the time you register.
- After registration, the fun begins! When you're
done with any necessary registration activites, you can gather with your
friends or your team, participate in warm-up exercises, explore the
vendor booths, and meet your fellow walkers. In addition, every Walk MS site has a brief kick-off ceremony shortly before the event gets underway that you won't want to miss.
Plus, don't forget to meet and
congratulate the members of our Tremendous 200 and Elite Feet fundraising clubs! Tremendous
200 walkers are our top-200 fundraisers from last year's Walk MS event.
They'll be wearing special orange t-shirts with a list of Tremendous 200
members on the back. Elite Feet walkers have raised $500 or more in
donations, and will be sporting special white baseball caps. Find them
all and say hello!
Note: There will be a 9/11 remembrance prior to both Walk events. The Peoria remembrance will take place at 12:30 p.m. The Urbana remembrance time will be determined before event day.
THANK YOU, TEAMS!
 We'd like to extend a special Thank You to our 2011 Walk MS Top Teams. The Top Teams at each Walk MS event site will be recognized in the Team Village with a tent, table, or special award.
And congratulations to all of our teams! By mobilizing yourselves, you have moved others to help us reach our goal and achieve our vision of a world free of MS!
See you all on Sunday!
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What is MS?
Every
hour someone in the United States is diagnosed with MS, an
unpredictable, often disabling autoimmune disease of the central nervous
system. The disease affects more than 20,000 people in Illinois,
400,000 throughout the United States and 2.5 million worldwide. MS
interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body, and
it can stop people from moving.
About the Greater Illinois Chapter
The
National MS Society, Greater Illinois Chapter mobilizes people and
resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of
everyone affected by MS. We envision a world free of MS and move toward
that end by driving change through advocacy, facilitating education,
collaborating with others and by providing helpful programs and
services. Please visit MSIllinois.org to learn more.
PAVE the Way: Participate | Advocate | Volunteer | Educate
National MS Society, Greater Illinois Chapter
525 West Monroe Street, Suite 900, Chicago IL 60661
1.888.343.1179 | WalkMSillinois.org | WalkMSillinois@nmss.org
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