FootNotes The Official Walk MS Newsletter Volume VI, Issue 2 WALK MS: 25K FOR 25 YEARS A MILESTONE CELEBRATION EVENT! We are happy to announce the 25th Anniversary of Walk MS for the New Jersey Metro Chapter! In celebration of this milestone, we are featuring a special Walk this year on Saturday, May 3 rd at Allaire State Park. We are rallying up our friends, families and supporters to join us as we look back over the years and the progress we ve made, and to show the power of our connections. Join us as we walk hand in hand through 15.5 miles. We are up for the challenge and hope you are too! Whether you recently started participating or have been for years, every effort, every year, matters. It is because of you, that day by day, we are moving closer to a world free of MS. The National MS Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. Event Details: Date: Saturday May 3 rd Time: Registration opens at 7:30am Location: Allaire State Park, 4265 Atlantic Ave. Farmingdale, NJ 07727 Registration: $25 Fundraising Minimum: $500 Minimum age to walk is 18 years old, or 14 years with an adult Link to Sign Up: REGISTER NOW! Invite your biggest fans to cheer you along and join us for festivities after the event! NEW 5K FUN RUN! In addition to the 5K Fun Run at Ridgefield Park (which is now a USATF Certified Grand Prix Run) on Sunday, April 27th, the New Jersey Metro Chapter will be hosting a second 5K Fun Run on Walk MS Sunday at the Lincroft walk site at Thompson Park. All runners in the community are welcome to sign up and be a part of this new tradition that will kick off the Walk MS event.
GOT DONATIONS? If you ve already been receiving cash and check donations for your Walk MS efforts, feel free to mail or drop them off to: Please note our new mailing address: National MS Society New Jersey Metro Chapter Aspen Corporate Park 1 1480 U.S. Highway 9 North Suite 301 Woodbridge, NJ 07095 Please include a note with your name so that we can place your donations into your Walk MS account. You will see your donation updated in your Participant Center as your Progress Thermometer grows! HERE ARE SOME LAST MINUTE FUNDRAISING IDEAS TO HELP YOU GET CLOSER TO YOUR GOAL DINE OUT: Many local restaurants host community event nights to support local charities. Contact your favorite diner, chain, or date-spot and ask if they will host a Dining Night where a portion of the patrons bills will be donated back to your team. DRESS FOR MS/DRESS DOWN DAY: If you work in a corporate office or place that requires a uniform, ask your employer if you could host a Dress for MS day at the office to raise money for Walk MS. Ask co-workers to make a donation to your Walk MS efforts and in return be allowed to dress down on a specific day at work. Print out Dress for MS stickers for those that participate to wear STREET TEAM: Get the word out about Walk MS 2014 by bringing posters, brochures, and donation cards to your place of business, local businesses, places of worship, etc. Contact the Development Department at 732-660-1005 for materials. CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT: Ask your company for permission to promote your team. Perhaps they will allow you to promote your team via the company newsletter, blast emails, displaying posters/ brochures around the office, etc. It never hurts to ask and you never know who may want to join the movement! The Teams Department is always happy to come out and set up a registration/ information table to help recruit new team members! Contact Alexis Stone, alexis.stone@nmss.org, if you are interested. MATCHING GIFTS: Ask your company to match the amount of pledges you receive from your fellow coworkers AND ask your friends that donate to see if they can investigate getting their company to match pledges. Visit our matching gift page and request that your donors do so as well. This new portal: nationalmssociety.org/employermatch provides a link to thousands of employers who offer matching gifts and step-by-step. TEAM T-SHIRTS Be the best dressed team at Walk MS 2014 with your very own Team T-Shirts! Choose from one of OnPoint Charitee s two Walk MS T-Shirt designs made especially for the New Jersey Meto Chapter. You can also choose from a variety of colors and fonts to really make them your own. Final deadline to order is April 11, 2014 at 10:00 AM. (OnPoint s flyer with contact information is on the next page.)
TEAM TABLES There is still time to raise enough money so that your team is eligible to receive a team table at the starting line of the event! The top 5 fundraising teams at each site (winning teams will be based on money turned in by April 7, 2014) will receive a table! Team tables are a great place to gather prior to the start of the event. Don t forget to take your team photo once everyone has congregated! RAISE FUNDS, HAVE FUN, AND BE RECOGNIZED New Jersey Metro Chapter Honors and Prizes Team Champion Award - Presented to the top fundraising team of the year. 2013 Winner: Motley Crew Largest Team Award - Presented to the team with greatest number of registered participants. 2013 Winner: Doin It for MS. Deb Most Team Spirit Award - Presented to the team who is most enthusiastic - not only during the event but throughout the upcoming months. 2013 Winner: Walk Along for Bre Breakout Team - Awarded to the team whose current fundraising results have dramatically surpassed the previous year. 2013 Winner: Steppin for Steph Best Dressed Team- Awarded to one team at each walk site that has the most creative t-shirt/outfit on Walk Day. Teams must have their team photos taken at their walk site by the photographer on Walk day in order to qualify. 2013 Winners: BELMAR/LAKE COMO -- Grateful Meds, CLARK -- Team Cristina, FLEMINGTON -- Team Rizza, FREEHOLD -- Ray s Raiders, HAMILTON -- Friends of Mary, LAKEWOOD -- Team MotuSexy, LINCROFT -- Sue s Roaming Gnomes, JERSEY CITY-- ECC PTA 2014, NORTH BRUNSWICK -- North Brunswick Boys Lacrosse, RIDGEFIELD PARK -- Don t MS With Us, ROSELAND -- Lorries s Ladies & Lads, ROXBURY -- Team Bopper Rookie of the Year - Awarded to a corporate and a friends and family first year team whose fundraising efforts proved extraordinary. 2013 Corporate Winner: Walgreens 2013 Friends and Family Winner: Team Fitz
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A WALKING WONDER? Walking Wonders are those individuals who raise $1,000 or more! Members who raise $1,000 or more will receive special recognition and club gift. MISSION POSSIBLE $10,000 + SENSATIONAL STEPPERS $5,000 - $9,999 MARVELOUS MARCHERS $1,000 - $4,999 TREAT YOURSELF AND HELP THOSE WITH MS! STOP BY CUPCAKES BY CAROUSEL (Ridgewood, Englewood and Montclair) Purchase a 6-pack of delicious orange cupcakes for $18, and $5 will be donated back to Walk MS or, purchase an individual orange cupcake and 10% of the sale will be donated to Walk MS! Click here for more information. This is also a great team or personal fundraising opportunity! For more information, contact Alexis Stone, Director of Teams and Corporate Development at alexis.stone@nmss.org or 201-977-2459.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2014 SPONSORS Walk MS Sponsorship Opportunities Walk MS offers your business a unique opportunity to market your product/service to a large, select group for a small price! SILVER SPONSOR $3,500 Logo recognition on back of over 5,000 event T-Shirts and much more! BRONZE SPONSOR $1,500 Name recognition on back of over 5,000 event T-Shirts and much more! EVENT SPONSOR $1,000 Name recognition in Walk MS Event newsletters and much more! REST STOP SPONSOR $ 750 Day of Event signage at your REST STOP of choice and much more! ADOPT A MILE $ 250/$500 Pick any mile along one of the 12 walk routes to display your company name, family name or team name and we will display your personal sign at a walk mile marker. For more information contact: Karen Drzik, Executive Vice President of Development karen.drzik@nmss.org or 732-660-1005 x44316
TOP 25 FUNDRAISING TEAMS *AS OF 3/11/2014 WALK SITE TEAM Team Captain TOTAL AMOUNT Ridgefield Park Motley Crew Nicole Eiszner $64,261.42 Clark Mitzvah Squad Laura Cohen $52,818.16 Jersey City Team Greengrass Carla Greengrass $26,042.00 Freehold Team Ray s Raiders Susan Kershaw $24,496.78 Roxbury Luke Skywalker and The Wookies Craig Chomiak $21,578.12 Jersey City Team Weiss Michael Weiss $18,801.35 Roxbury Ted s Team Ted Bargstadt $17,495.00 Hamilton Falk s Walkers Rich Falk $16,979.00 Clark RAMS Against MS Jonathan Belfer $15,839.00 Jersey City All Hands on Deck Kristin Decker $14,835.00 Belmar/Lake Como Attitude is Everything Nicole Pica $13,776.00 Belmar/Lake Como Weezer s Walkers Bob Wass $13,426.00 Jersey City Making Strides Lauren Park $13,080.00 Clark Team Kindman Hillary Kindman $12,725.00 Ridgefield Park Steppin for Steph Alyssa Schneider $12,100.00 Lakewood GRACE UNDER PRESSURE Patricia Cooper $12,047.00 Belmar/Lake Como CIRCLE HYUNDAI Blaise Scibetta $11,999.00 Ridgefield Park Partners at Work 2013 Brian Hurwitz $11,530.00 Clark Team Mary Carole Breheny $11,520.00 Belmar/Lake Como Team Fitz Kelly Fitzgibbon $11,072.00 Belmar/Lake Como Walking for Dana Suzanne Cannata $10,938.00 Ridgefield Park keep on truckin Ronni Lieberman $10,648.00 Freehold Fighting Fitzgeralds Stephanie Fitzgerald $10,380.00 Jersey City, Roseland, Bayer MS Walk Team Cynthia Philipone $10,315.10 Roxbury Jersey City Walgreens Robert Kershaw $10,185.81