National MS Society Welcomes Novartis as Premier Sponsor, for 5th Year, of Walk MS

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is welcoming Novartis Pharmaceuticals, for a fifth consecutive year, as a leading national sponsor of Walk MS, its annual fundraising and awareness-raising event. This year’s walks will also again feature the musician and multiple sclerosis (MS) ambassador David Osmond leading the society’s as part of Novartis’ “Our Voice in Song” campaign.

Osmond, a singer and songwriter who was diagnosed with MS in 2006, will share his experiences to inspire those with the disease and to help others better understand MS and its human toll. At nine scheduled walks, he will entertain walkers with his music, including the inspirational song “I Can Do This.” The scheduled Walk MS events, with links for registration and other information, are:

• 4/3 Boston, Massachusetts
• 4/9 Columbus, Ohio
• 4/10 Toledo, Ohio
• 4/16 Jersey City, New Jersey
• 4/17 New York, New York
• 4/23 San Diego, California
• 4/24 San Francisco, California
• 4/30 Denver, Colorado
• 5/21 Lansing, Michigan

Novartis will also set up an exhibit area at each of the nine walks to inform participants about MS, and about the company’s efforts to advance treatments and aid the MS Society in its work.
“Novartis’ continued commitment and sponsorship coupled with David’s passionate performances are important in supporting our efforts to fund cutting–edge research and life-changing services to help people with MS live their best lives,” Betty Ross, vice president of Walk MS and Emerging Events for Society, said in a press release. “We’re excited that the Walk MS experience is enhanced by their sponsorship, and look forward to more participants joining us and being inspired at the events this year.”

MS, a condition that affects over 2.3 million people worldwide, is an erratic, frequently disabling disease that affects the central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information within the brain and between the body and the brain. Patients often report symptoms ranging from numbness and tingling to, in the most severe cases, blindness or paralysis. Disease progression, severity, and symptoms vary among individuals, and available treatments do not offer a cure. Two to three times more women are diagnosed with the disease than men, and usually between the ages of 20 and 50.