PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK Find the WALK in your community mswalks.ca Title Sponsor Provincial Sponsor
WALK WITH US! Welcome to the 2017 Scotiabank MS Walk! We are excited you could join our mission to end multiple sclerosis. This worldwide movement has allowed us the power to change the lives of Canadians living with MS. We are thankful for your motivation, support, and fundraising initiatives which will make this year s MS Walk a huge success. We ensure your experience will be fun, successful and rewarding. Every Step Matters in our quest to help those affected by MS and discovering a cure. FIND THE WALK IN YOUR COMMUNITY VANCOUVER ISLAND Comox Valley Courtenay Airpark 110 20 St, Courtenay BC V9N 2B5 Check-in Time: 8:30am Start Time: 10:00am Route Length(s): Route Lengths: 3, 7, and 10km Early Check-in Date: Friday, May 26, 2017 Early Check-in Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm Early Check-in Location: Scotiabank 1811 Comox Avenue, Comox, BC V9M 3L9 For more information, contact Marissa Ledding marissa.ledding@mssociety.ca 250-388-6496 Duncan Cowichan Sportsplex 5847 Chesterfield Ave, Duncan, BC V9L 3M3 Check-in Time: 9:30am Start Time: 11:00am Route Length(s): Route Lengths: 3 and 5km For more information, contact Sheron Chrysler sheron.chrysler@mssociety.ca +1 (250) 748-7010 Nanaimo Maffeo Sutton Park 100 Comox Rd, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 3H7 Check-in Time: 8:30am Start Time: 10:00am Route Length(s): Route Lengths: 3 and 6km For more information, contact Sheron Chrysler sheron.chrysler@mssociety.ca +1 (250) 748-7010 Victoria Willows Beach 2740 Dalhousie St Victoria, BC V8R Check-in Time: 12:30pm Start Time: 2:00pm Route Length(s): Route Lengths: 3 and 6km Early Check-in Date: Saturday, May 27, 2017 Early Check-in Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm Early Check-in Location: TBA For more information, contact Marissa Ledding marissa.ledding@mssociety.ca 250-388-6496 2
INTERIOR Cranbrook Baker Park, Cranbrook, BC V1R 4X7 Check-in Time: 8am Start Time: 10am Route Length(s): 3km and 6km Early Check-in Date: Saturday, May 27th, 2017 Early Check-in Time: 12pm-3pm Early Check-in Location: Scotiabank Cranbrook - 524 Cranbrook St N, Cranbrook, BC V1C 3R6 For more information, contact Tara Kowalchuk tara.kowalchuk@mssociety.ca 1-800-268-7582 x 7254 Greater Trail Gyro Park, Trail, BC V1R 4X7 Check-in Time: 10am Start Time: 11am Route Length(s): 3km and 5km For more information, contact Tara Kowalchuk tara.kowalchuk@mssociety.ca 1-800-268-7582 x 7254 Kamloops Riverside Park, Rotary Bandshell 100 Lorne St, Kamloops, BC V2C 1V9 Check-in Time: 8:00am Start Time: 10:00am Route Length(s): 2km, 5km, 10km optional 10km Challenge available Early Check-in Date: Saturday, May 27th, 2017 Early Check-in Time: 11am-2pm Early Check-in Location: MS Society Interior Regional Office 1-275 Seymour Street For more information, contact Jennifer Harbaruk Jennifer.Harbaruk@mssociety.ca 250-314-0773 or toll free 1-888-288-7582 Kelowna Stuart Park, 1430 Water St, Kelowna, BC V1Y 1J1 Check-in Time: 8am Start Time: 10am 3 Route Length(s): 2km and 5km For more information, contact Jennifer Harbaruk Jennifer.Harbaruk@mssociety.ca 250-314-0773 or toll free 1-888-268-7582 Nelson Lakeside Park, Nelson, BC V1L Check-in Time: 10am Start Time: 11am Route Length(s): 3km and 5km For more information, contact Tara Kowalchuk Tara.Kowalchuk@mssociety.ca 1-800-268-7582 ext 7254 Penticton Skaha Lake Park, Penticton, BC V2A 3W2 Check-in Time: 8am Start Time: 10am Route Length(s): 2km and 5km For more information, contact Jennifer Harbaruk Jennifer.Harbaruk@mssociety.ca 250-314-0773 or toll free 1-888-268-7582 LOWER MAINLAND Langley Douglas Park, 20550 Douglas Crescent Langley, BC V3A 4B4 Check-in Time: 9:00am Start Time: 10:30am Route Length(s): 3 km / 6km For more information, contact Kiersten Guiseppi kiersten.guiseppi@mssociety.ca 604-602-3202 Surrey Hawthorn Park, 10513 144 St, Surrey, BC V3T 1T0 Check-in Time: 9:00am Start Time: 10:30am Route Length(s): (TBD)
For more information, contact Kiersten Guiseppi kiersten.guiseppi@mssociety.ca 604-602-3202 TriCities Rocky Point Park 2800 Murray St, Port Moody, BC V3H 1X2 Check-in Time: 9:00am Start Time: 10:30am Route Length(s): 2 km / 5 km For more information, contact Kiersten Guiseppi kiersten.guiseppi@mssociety.ca 604-602-3202 Vancouver Plaza of Nations 750 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6B 5E7 Check-in Time: 9:00am Start Time: 10:30am Route Length(s): 2 km / 5 km For more information, contact Kiersten Guiseppi kiersten.guiseppi@mssociety.ca 604-602-3202 NORTHERN BC Prince George Kiwanis Bowl Bandshell, Lheidli T enneh Memorial Park Prince George, BC V2L 3X9 Check-in Time: 11:00am Start Time: 12:00pm Route Length(s): 2.25 km / 4.50 km For more information, contact Jennifer Harbaruk Jennifer.Harbaruk@mssociety.ca 250-314-0773 or toll free 1-888-268-7582 FRASER VALLEY Fraser Valley Vedder Park 45450 Petawawa Rd, Chilliwack, BC V2R 3M4 Check-in Time: 11:30am Start Time: 1:00pm Route Length(s): 2.5km / 5km For more information, contact Kiersten Guiseppi kiersten.guiseppi@mssociety.ca 604-602-3202 YUKON Whitehorse 20 May 2017, Saturday Rotary Peace Park 2045 2nd Avenue, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 1B2 Check-in Time: 11:00am Start Time: 11:30am Route Length(s): 3 km / 5 km For more information, contact Jennifer Harbaruk Jennifer.Harbaruk@mssociety.ca 250-314-0773 or toll free 1-888-268-7582 EVENT DAY We walk rain or shine, so prepare yourself for weather changes. WHAT TO BRING Comfortable walking or running shoes Water bottle and/or coffee thermos/travel mug Layers of clothing An umbrella or rain gear Sun block and sunglasses DON T FORGET! All cash and cheque pledges in a Ziploc or waterproof bag Your Donation Tracking Form, filled out with all cash and cheque donations Your Donation Tracking Form, filled out with your online and offline totals 4
FUNDRAISING TIPS Register online at mswalks.ca. Set up your Walk page Raise money Spread the word Story Photo Goal Make first donation Invite friends and family to your team Share page via email and social media Use your Participant Centre to fundraise Host a fundraising event (fancy dinner, karaoke, movie night) Thanks! Show your gratitude Send an email for each donation received Follow-up after Walk on how you and your the team did! Tha Have fun! Ask your team to recruit other team members Create team identity (banners, T-shirts, hats) FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE Raise $400 in 4 days! Day1 Day2 Day 3 Day 4 Register and make a donation. Use your participant centre to email your friends and family to ask for their support. Ask 5 co-workers to pledge you $10 each. Ask 5 people from your gym or social group for a pledge of $10 each. $20 $20 x 14 = $280 $10 x 5 = $50 $10 x 5 = $50 Grand total raised = $400 5
FUNDRAISING ONLINE: THE HOW-TO GUIDE 1. LOG IN TO THE PARTICIPANT CENTRE AT MSWALKS.CA TOP TIPS FOR ONLINE FUNDRAISING A. Visit mswalks.ca B. Click Login and enter your username and password to login to your Participant Centre. You can retrieve your forgotten username or password on the Login page or call your local Scotiabank MS Walk Coordinator to have it reset. PARTICIPANT CENTRE LOGIN Share your personal fundraising page. The Participant Centre makes it easy to share your page on Facebook and Twitter. Change the signature line of your outgoing emails to include a link to your personal fundraising page. Set your goal. Set your goal on the Progress tab in your Participant Centre. Many people will donate more if they know you re close to your goal. 2. PERSONALIZE YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE. A. Click Personal Page C. Post a photo or video. Thank your donors. Use the Participant Centre to thank your donors for helping you reach your goal! Send a follow-up email after your event to share highlights, pictures and how their donations are making a difference. D. Click Preview to see how your page will appear or Save to publish it B. Write your story E. Share your page on Facebook and Twitter. DID YOU KNOW? Participants who personalize their fundraising page RAISE 5 TIMES MORE than those who don t. Participants who pledge themselves RAISE 135% MORE than those who don t. Show your commitment to ending MS. Make a self-donation today! 6
3. SHARE YOUR PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COLLEAGUES. Your story is published here. Your donors will appear here when a donation is made online. DONATING ONLINE MAKES CENTS! The MS Society saves approximately $1.50 for every donation made online because online donations reduce the cost of administration and provide more funding towards services and research. Donors who donate online will automatically be emailed a tax receipt. 4. CONNECT WITH YOUR SUPPORTERS THROUGH PERSONAL EMAILS. A. Click Email. B. Click Solicitation and choose the Please support me in the MS Walk email template. Click Next. C. Edit the templated message to personalize it. A link to your personal fundraising page will automatically be included at the bottom of each message when it is sent. D. When you are finished editing your message click Next to select your recipients and/or import your contacts. E. After you ve selected your recipients click Next to see a preview of your message. Click Send. IMPORT YOUR EMAIL CONTACTS DIRECTLY FROM YOUR EMAIL SERVICE Personalize your email. Click Preview to see how your message will appear. NEED HELP? Contact your local Scotiabank MS Walk Coordinator. Contact information is located on the home page of your Participant Centre or on your walk site s homepage. 7
FUNDRAISING REWARDS MISSION FIRST CLUB members opt to receive a tax receipt in lieu of a gift card reward. When you generously donate your gift card reward back to the MS Society, you aid in reducing costs associated with purchasing participant rewards. This allows us to dedicate more money towards vital programs and services to those affected by MS and research. Mission First Club members receive a tax receipt for the value of the gift card. Rewards will be awarded on the basis of donations raised. To be eligible for a reward, your donated funds and reward request must be received by the MS Society within two weeks after event day. Gift card options to be announced. Elite feet rewards may not be exactly as shown. The MS Society reserves the right to substitute rewards of equal or greater value. Rewards are not cumulative, with the exception of the MS Walk T-shirt and the Elite Feet Club bonus items. All apparel items are in unisex sizes. Rewards are based on individual totals and not team totals. We know you re not in it for the rewards, but when you fundraise for MS Walk, you become eligible to receive one of our fundraising rewards! $125 + MS WALK T-Shirt $500 + Selfie Stick $2,000 + Elite Feet Hooded Sweatshirt $10,000 - $14,999 Invitation to attend Walk of Champions or $750 Gift Card $20,000 - $29,999 Walk of Champions or $1,500 Gift Card $1,000 + Elite Feet Umbrella $3,500 - $4,999 $250 Gift Card $5,000 - $7,499 $400 Gift Card $7,500 - $9,999 $550 Gift Card $15,000 - $19,999 Invitation to attend Walk of Champions or $1,000 Gift Card $30,000+ Walk of Champions or $2,500 Gift Card MS Walk participants who raise $10,000 or more will have a chance to join other top fundraisers from across Canada and participate in the MS Walk event hosted in the United States. 8
MY STORY I WALKED FOR25 YEARS STACEY EASTERBROOK WALKS IN MEMORY OF HER SISTER AND A CURE FOR MS. Since the very first walk in 1992, Stacey Easterbrook has been doing the MS Walk every year for the past 25 years. Stacey says, That first year we had the walk down in Stanley Park and all through Gastown. It took almost 3 hours. Through the years, the walk has been streamlined and branched out to different locations. Stacey now does her walk in Surrey at Bear Creek Park for close to 15 years. For Stacey, multiple sclerosis is a terrible disease that has hit close to home. My sister Debbie was diagnosed with MS in 1988 and she is the reason I do the MS Walk. Unfortunately, my sister passed away in 2007. I continue to do the walk in her memory. She is not alone. Many people who participate in the MS Walk also have a loved one in their family living with the disease or are affected by it themselves. Canada has the highest rate of MS in the world with an estimated 100,000 Canadians living with MS today. Like many others, Stacey is committed to fundraising for research that s being done right here in Canada. I continue to support the MS Society and pray for a cure. That would be such great news for so many affected by MS. As a school special education assistant and a major animal lover, Stacey is passionate and tireless about helping others. She says, I am very proud to be participating in my 25th MS Walk and will continue to do so as long as it is needed. Join Stacey and walk with her to raise funds for advancing MS research. Register and start your fundraising today. mswalks.ca WHY FUND RAISE? The funds you raise help people affected by multiple sclerosis. The MS Society of Canada has a variety of programs and services that help people living with MS effectively manage and cope with the disease. Through this type of support, no one has to face these challenges alone. You help support core programs and services such as: 9 INFORMATION & SUPPORT EDUCATION WELLNESS QUALITY OF LIFE - EQUIPMENT GRANTS INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY
How do I log into my Participant Centre? Go to mswalks.ca and choose LOGIN from the upper-right-corner menu. FAQ Participant Centre. Please note that we require the donor s full postal address in order to issue the receipt. Only donations over $20 will be receipted. How do I personalize my Fundraising Page? Go to mswalks.ca and choose LOGIN from the upperright-corner menu. Once you ve logged in, navigate to the Personal Page tab. Here you will be able to edit the title and text of your page. Use the URL Settings section to make a shortcut to your page. Select the Photo/Video option from the right-hand sidebar menu to add a photo or video to your page. Is there a minimum fundraising amount? There is no minimum amount required to participate in this event, but we do encourage everyone to fundraise. The My Goal section in the Participant Centre is set at $125 as a suggested amount. If every Walk participant raised $125 we would beat our goal for 2017! How do I change my fundraising goal? What about my team s fundraising goal? Go to mswalks.ca and choose LOGIN from the upper-right-corner menu. Then navigate to the Progress tab. Use the My Goal (change) link to change your goal. To change your team goal, select the Team option on the right-hand sidebar menu. How can I make my cash/cheque donations show up on my online Fundraising Honor Roll? Go to mswalks.ca and choose LOGIN from the upper-right-corner menu. Once you ve logged in, choose Enter new gift from the righthand sidebar menu, and fill out the form. Please note that Recognition Name is what will show up on your Fundraising Page Honor Roll, e.g. Anonymous or Aunt Helen. How can I make a donation to a Team? All donations made to team members are included in the Team s total; making a donation to a team member is the same as making a donation to that team. Simply choose a team member from the Team Roster, go to their fundraising page, and choose Donate Now. Your donation will show up on their Honor Roll, as well as the Honor Roll for the team. How can I join a team? If you are already registered as an individual and would like to join team, please log into your Participant Centre and use the Join or create a team button on the Home tab. Please note that it may take up to 2 business days to respond to your request. When and where do I pick up my Fundraising Rewards? T-shirts and Elite Feet prizes will be available at Early Check-In (if applicable for your site) or at the Event. Gift Cards will be mailed out following the event. I have a donor who does not want to make an online donation. Will you accept donations by cash or cheque? Yes, we can accept offline donations by cash and cheque. You can bring these donations to Check-In on the day of the Walk, or bring/mail them to your local MS Society office. Please note: cash pledges should not be sent in the mail; we suggest writing a cheque to cover any pledges you receive in cash and mailing this instead. How will my offline donors get their tax receipts? All cash and cheque donations that require a tax receipt must be recorded on a Pledge Form. The Pledge Form can be downloaded from the Home section of your 10 How can someone else join my team? Your new team member should go to mswalks.ca, pick the city where you are walking, and register for that event. During the first step of registration, they should choose the Join a team button. They will then be able to use the Search for a team button to view a list of teams for that city. My friends/co-workers can t attend but can they still be on my team? Absolutely! Even if your team members can t make it to the event, any funds that they raise will still go to help people affected by MS. What if I still have questions and want to talk to a real person? The contact information for your MS Walk Coordinator is found on the Home page of your Participant Centre, and also on the main page for your Walk. This is the person you should contact if you still have questions!
VOLUNTEER TO HELP END MS! It takes hundreds of dedicated volunteers in BC and Yukon to make the Scotiabank MS Walk possible. They are a diverse group who contribute their time and talent to end MS. There are many volunteer opportunities and day-ofevent positions to suit everyone s interest, abilities, and schedules. Volunteers can also raise pledges also participate as part of a team! Visit the volunteer page at mswalks.ca to find out more! SPREAD & SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Be inspired: facebook.com/mssocietybcy Follow us: @mssocietybc #MSWalkBC THANK YOU for participating in the 2017 we have to change the lives of Canadians with Scotiabank MS Walk. With your help and support, MS. Each year, over 100,000 people volunteer for the MS Society in the form of support education, the MS Society has generated $142 million fundraising events, direct service and advocate across Canada for MS research. This research systems to really impact the lives of people in has given us the opportunity to improve the our community. We look forward to celebrating quality of life for people living with MS and our future success with you as we step closer to generate support systems for their everyday needs. The MS Walk is a celebration of the power discovering the cure for multiple sclerosis. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada would like to remind all participants to display their best conduct and use appropriate language as the Scotiabank MS Walk is a family-friendly fundraising event. 11