National Partnership & Third Party Events

Featured Partners

Ian Fillinger – Racing Across America to End MS

Ian at the start line of the 2010 Race Across America, Oceanside, California

On June 9, 2010, Ian Fillinger kicked off his Race Across America, a cycling event that covers 3,000 miles and 14 states. The goal of this project is to raise donations towards research for finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

After completing 1145 miles in just over 4 days Ian experienced pulmonary edema and was hospitalized. From his FaceBook page: “My heart was compromised causing fluid to back up into my lungs and then transfer to my stomach and legs. I gained 40 pounds and have now lost 23 pounds.  Lots of tears and disappointment but according to the doctors I was lucky to make it through the situation.”

Ian’s feat and his legacy are truly phenomenal and inspiring. To date the Kamloops resident has raised over $50,000 - a true reflection of his passion and dedication to the race and the goal to end MS!

Ian and his wife Michelle

Ian's cycling is inspired by his wife, Michelle, who is also a competitive athlete living with multiple sclerosis. Michelle supports Ian in every kilometer of his races and, in turn, finds inspiration in his accomplishments.

The pursuit of his goal commits him to the physical and mental training required to reach it. Her goal requires an equal level of compulsory determination and perseverance to reach it. Their undertakings have extreme physical tolls: his, muscle pain from over 15000 kilometers on a bike in a year; her muscle pain comes without apparent cause; his, blurred vision from the exhaustion of riding; hers, a sudden onset without explanation; his, fatigue from a schedule of training and racing; hers, from just living each day.  Both possess the tenacity to overcome waves of frustration and an opportunity to give in, but where he sees the broken line-markings on the road counting up the distance to the finish, she sees a reminder of a disconnected nervous system, and they both keep going.

When asked what’s it like, supporting Michelle every challenging day, “In ultra-cycling there are others in the race, but you essentially compete against your body’s physical and mental systems which are continually urging you to stop. When you live with Multiple Sclerosis you compete against your body’s own defense system causing the interruption of muscular and neural function. That contest lasts a lifetime, and there is no cure; yet!”

http://www.raceacrossamerica.ca/default.htm

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565619108#!/group.php?gid=85090489887

http://twitter.com/MSRAAM2010

The Tandem Tour: 4 guys, 4 causes, 1 bike

On May 5th 2010, four students from the University of Victoria (Brent Seamone, Ben Miller, Jeff Belanger and Ian Bevis) set off from Victoria, British Columbia on a trans Canada quad-tandem bicycle campaign in aid of charity. Over 2.5 months they will pedal their way to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, a distance of over 6000 km. The motivation for this event is to raise money for four charities that have in some way affected at least one member of the team.

Brent Seamone is riding in support of the MS Society of Canada. The other charities being supported are Friends of Redtail Sheltering Forests campaign by Ben, Diabetes by Jeff and Cystic Fibrosis by Ian.

Sponsor Brent! Check out their weekly episodes that will stream off the official Tandem Tour website. Once the tour is completed a documentary film will be produced, so keep watching!

$100,000 Raised by Michael Shanks Online

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada has been proud to call Michael Shanks Online a partner in the fight to end multiple sclerosis since 2005. In 2009, Michael Shanks Online surpassed the $100,000 milestone in their fundraising efforts.

Michael Shanks and his wife Lexa Doig have chosen the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada as their charity, and through the fundraising efforts of Michael Shanks Online, they are not only stewards of important fundraising endeavours, but contributors in increasing awareness of the disease.

Michael Shanks Online, the official website of actor, writer and director Michael Shanks, raises funds for the MS Society of Canada through the site's "Online Charity Bazaar" and auctions on eBay. In 2009, the online auction raised $22,000 thanks to the support of Mr. Shanks' co-stars and peers: Amanda Tapping, Claudia Black, Colin Cunningham, JR Bourne, Ben Browder, David Hewlett, Joe Flanigan and Connor Trinneer (and their respective agents/publicists).

To date, Michael Shanks Online has raised $105,375 in efforts to end MS. A special thank you goes to Michael Shanks and Lexa Doig for their support of this important cause. Special recognition to Dana Jeanne Norris and Monica Duff who tireless volunteer their efforts on an annual basis to organize these fundraising activities on behalf of Michael Shanks Online.

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Running your own Event

If you are interested in running your own third party event, please contact:

Brian Lim
Coordinator, Event Marketing
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
brian.lim@mssociety.ca
1-866-922-6065 x3142

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