Junction City is happy to announce that they will once again be hosting Walk MS Peoria this year. They first volunteered their site for Walk MS in 2011, and they are proud to do so again for this year's Walk.

Junction City Shopping Center is more than just a place to shop. Several events are held at the location each year, and the Center is active in the community and enjoys giving back through their partnerships with organizations like the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

"Junction City is honored to host and support Walk MS 2014," said Brittany Michael, Executive Assistant Manager at Junction Ventures. "We are excited that the event is returning to our location, and we feel it is the perfect environment for the community to raise funds for a great cause. We look forward to participating and assisting in the event."

On Sunday, Sept. 7, the Junction City parking lots will be transformed into an energetic festival site for hundreds of event participants walking to create a world free of MS.

Be on the lookout for Team Junction City, which will be walking in honor of all those living with MS.

My name is Rex Loeffler and I'm the Local Store Marketing Manager for Thornton’s. This was our first year donating water to Walk MS in Peoria & Urbana. As a company our goal is to reach out and get more involved in the communities around our stores. We decided that the National MS Society is an organization we can and want get involved with.

This was our first year being involved with the Greater Illinois Chapter, but this is not our first year being involved with the National MS Society. We have 174 stores throughout the U.S., so we hope this connection will create more awareness for MS and encourage more people to get involved.

It’s very important to us to help find a cure for MS so the more people that get involved, the closer we are to finding a cure.

Providing water at Walk MS Peoria was Dave Deters, Regional Manager for Thornton’s in North Central Illinois and Tammy Schreiber, General Manager of Thornton’s in East Peoria.

"It was very rewarding; we had a blast [at Walk MS] and we were surprised how many of our customers were out there,” said Deters. “We were glad to be a part of the event.”

“It was a great event for people supporting the cause,” said Schreiber. “We were glad to keep them cool by providing water.”

Chambana Sales Company is very proud to be an independent retailer of Ariens Company products.

They carry a full line of Ariens Company parts and accessories for all your needs.

My name is Kent Weeks and I am the owner of Chambana Sales Company. We own golf carts & donate them for day of use at Walk MS Urbana.

I was diagnosed with MS 3 ½ years ago, so this cause is important to me. I first got involved at a Greater Illinois Chapter informational meeting and from there we began talking about Walk MS. I had something that Walk MS needed, so I was happy to provide that service.

To me this is a very worthy cause and a very valuable purpose. This year will be our third year getting involved.

Fairmount Minerals is an Industrial Sand Mining and Coating Company that has been a sponsor for three years at Walk MS. 

My name is Daina Bartolucci and I helped get Fairmount Minerals involved as a Walk MS sponsor in early 2011. The reason I decided to file a donation request on behalf of the Greater Illinois Chapter is because I have a family member affected by MS.

The first year Fairmount Minerals got involved as a Corporate Sponsor for the Princeton Community Walk MS and then this year we got involved again as a $5,000 Walk MS Corporate Sponsor.

I’m Rob Wendland, the Director of Operations for Hollander International Storage and Moving Company, Inc. We have been involved with Walk MS for a number of years and will continue this year.

The first year we got involved, members of our staff volunteered at the Chicago and North Shore sites. From the second year on, we decided to get involved even more by donating our services and supplying containers at Chicago and North Shore walk sites.

We participate as much as we can to get out there and assist in charity work. Over the past years we have got it down to a science and I have found the Greater Illinois Chapter staff very easy and nice to work with.

Since 1888, Hollander has successfully served our moving and storage customers by staying true to our commitment – thoughtful, courteous service by people you can trust. That means our focus is always on you, the customer. Whether you require residential moving, business relocation, long-term storage, or something in between, it's a commitment four generations of the Hollander family has nurtured.

In January, Sam’s Club employees across the country began holding fun and creative fundraisers, such as chili cook-offs and bake sales, to help people with MS move forward with their lives.  Over the last two years, Sam’s Club employees have already raised nearly $3 million through their determined grassroots fundraising efforts in order to benefit people living with MS and the essential MS research needed to end MS forever.

I work for the Sam’s Club in Northlake and my name is Betty Kort. Sam’s Club involvement with the National MS Society has given us the opportunity to reach out to our community and support this cause, that provides good health information, support for those in need and education.

Being able to give back to a cause is a good feeling, but having a company that is also able to get involved and give back is even better. There is a good culture at Sam’s Club and we have incentives for volunteering and getting involved.

Our company as a whole encourages individuals to be involved and support people in need, so this is a great combination to connect Sam’s Club with the National MS Society. Sam’s Club stores across Illinois have individual associates signing up as walkers and volunteers. In addition all clubs in Chicago and others throughout the country are trying to get the Walmart Foundation Grant: VAP (Volunteerism Always Pays) for the National MS Society.

On Sunday, February 10, at the Northlake Club, associates and their families came out to the club to support MS and promote the walk too. We challenge each club to do fundraising. One of the clubs that has really stood out is Rockford, and their fundraising efforts have been so inspiring.

Rockford Club Manager, Scott Schelling said, “This year we challenged each department to create a fundraising opportunity for multiple sclerosis in a short period of time without soliciting members.  It started with one department providing home chicken soup in the break room to another department creating an auction.  It's wasn't one good idea, it was dozens of ideas that kept the momentum rolling just like the story about Nancy and her husband Tyson making egg rolls. I would guess many restaurants in the area don't sell 600 egg rolls in a day, but we did to our associates alone. It's a giving club and a remarkable group of associates that have no limits on what they can achieve.  I'm in awe of their accomplishments and inspired by their actions.”

Chili's

My name is Jim Platis and I work for Chili’s Homewood. Belinda James, a member of the South Cook MS Self-Help Group Walk Team, approached our local Chili’s and asked if we would be able to help fundraise for her team by giving back a percentage of a patron’s bill who visited the restaurant if they presented a special MS coupon. Not only did we get involved, but so did all Chili’s restaurants in Illinois.

Chili’s has a focus to give back to the community and help the community grow and sustain into the future with fundraisers. Chili’s looks to build on their partnerships and continue to give money towards organizations needs and causes.

We got involved in Walk MS because we wanted to build a relationship with the National Multiple Sclerosis and believed in the cause to fight the disease that affects so many people.

At Chili’s we feel it is important to get involved with this cause since because our purpose is to help raise awareness and money towards research or projects that can fight the disease.

We are team driven and look for better ways to assist other organizations with their needs.

Scheck & Siress

My name is Emily Frederick and I work for Scheck & Siress, an ongoing Walk MS sponsor and provider of orthotic braces and prosthetic limbs in Illinois. We have been involved with Walk MS for the past four years and we feel it is very important to stay connected to those living with MS. Some of our products are designed to help those who experience foot drop, often with the use of functional electrical stimulation.

We also make a brace called an Ankle Foot Orthotic (AFO), which consists of a molded form designed to wrap around the user’s foot and up the calf. It’s through the production of these orthotics that we hope to improve the lives of those living with MS in Illinois.

Scheck & Siress also formed a Walk MS team in 2012, consisting of over 25 members. We encourage our employees to fundraise and walk to support the mission of the National MS Society. Walk MS is always a great day, full of positive attitudes and surging energy. We look forward to being further involved in the Walk, as well as other Chapter events. Historically, we’ve had a booth at the Research Symposium, and we connect with different MS support groups in different communities throughout the year across Illinois. We know how important it is to be rooted in the community and be a part of this movement, and in 2013, we’re walking for a cure.

For more information on Scheck & Siress please visit www.sccheckandsiress.com.

Questor

My name is Zack Stroble and I’m an Acthar Specialist for Neurology at Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. We’re a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of patients with serious, difficult-to-treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders and we’ve sponsored Illinois Walk MS for the past two years. We’ve been actively involved in numerous educational programs that benefit those living with MS, with a focus on the fields of neurology and nephrology.

My company is very happy to support Walk MS and plan to continue to be actively involved with the MS Society. I know I speak for my fellow colleagues when I say how impressed we are with all of the passionate people we meet each year at this wonderful event. All of the patients, family, friends and volunteers we come in contact with have inspired us to continue to do our part toward this cause. It’s a great day and we are grateful to continue to be a part of it.

Lee & Eddie's Catering

Lee & Eddie’s Catering in Wooddale has been a Walk MS sponsor since 2008. A family business, they like to give back to their communities as much as they can, being a long-time donor to food shelters in their area. Dan Veles, their general manager and employee of 30 years whose cousin lives with MS, said “When the MS partnership came along, we jumped on it; we knew we wanted to get involved.” At the spring 2012 Walks, Dan saw to it that his team contributed at both the Lakefront and Northwest Walk sites; even helping set up the night before in Palatine.

“The relationship is great, I do it because I want to; I love it,” said Veles. “I care about the cause and I’ll do whatever I can to help.” For the past five years, Lee & Eddies has provided food and assistance at Walk MS, and we look forward to their continued support. When asked about the feelings Walk MS has encouraged over the years, Veles simply stated “It’s humbling;” we could say the same of his commitment to our cause. Thank you, Lee & Eddies.