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At twelve Illinois sites on Sunday, May 2, 2010 and in Peoria on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will hold Walk MS 2010.  Click here to register.

Walk MS includes routes at Chicago's lakefront and in Bloomington, Joliet/Lockport, McHenry County, North Shore, Northwest Suburbs, Rockford, St. Charles, Chicago's South Suburbs, Springfield, Urbana and Chicago's West Suburbs.  Site routes range from 2.5 to 7 miles.

Why We're Walking...

• Walk MS is an excellent way to raise the much needed dollars to help support our on-going programs and services.
  
• Founded in 1952, the Greater Illinois Chapter provides services and programs to 20,000 people with MS and their families within Illinois.  The Chapter covers a 73-county territory, starting at the Illinois-Wisconsin border and continuing south through the northern and central areas of Illinois.
  
• Established in 1988 as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s only consistent national fundraising event, Walk MS attracts 200,000 participants and 45,000 volunteers at 600 sites across the nation.
  
• An estimated 1,500 volunteers will partner with Walk MS site committees on event planning, registration, food service, participant support, traffic control and local sponsorship opportunities throughout the year.  If you’re interested in joining a Walk MS Steering Committee in your community, contact Monica Eiden at 312.423.1137 or monica.eiden@ild.nmss.org.

Registration, fundraising and information are available for participants and the general public online through walkMSillinois.org.

Who Participates in Walk MS?

• 96% of our participants have a direct connection to MS
  
• 83% of our participants are female
  
• 60% have children

• 73% of participants walk as part of a team
  
• 78% of our audience is between the ages of 25 and 54
  
• 74% of our walkers exceed $40,000 annual income
  
• 91% of Walkers used the Internet to register

Where Do the Proceeds Go?
The Greater Illinois Chapter offers a wide array of local programs and services for people with MS and their families.  These programs are designed to inform and empower people to maximize their health and independence. 

The Greater Illinois Chapter is one of the top supporters of clinical research on MS.  Locally there are some 15 research projects being funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at approximately $3.5 Million.  Since its founding, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has contributed more than $420 million to MS research.