Get Involved! 
There are many ways kids and teens are getting involved with the MS Society and helping to end MS.

If you're in elementary or junior high, your school might be participating in the MS Read-A-Thon program. This is a great way to raise money, earn great rewards and learn more about MS—just by reading! 
Learn more by clicking here.

Other youth are participating on teams in the Enerflex MS Walk and the RONA MS Bike Tour . For more information on the Enerflex MS Walk,
click here and for information on the RONA MS Bike Tour, click here. To learn how to get involved in a team, visit our TeamMS page. Interested in learning more about all of our fundraising events? Visit our fundraising page to find out how you can get involved!

Want to help out? Hundreds of volunteers are needed to run all of our events. If you and some of your friends are interesting in volunteering and having a great time in the process, visit our volunteer page to learn more. 

Are you a YAM?
YAMS stands for Youth Against MS. YAMS are kids and teens who have joined the fight to end MS for any number of reasons. If you have MS, have a parent with MS, or just don't like the idea of multiple sclerosis impacting so many Albertans, then you might consider yourself a YAM. These pages are for you:

• stories about other YAMS and how they're helping to end MS
• Resources and programs for you/your parents

If you have a story you’d like to post or any other ideas for this pages, please contact us!

YAMS Spotlight:
Neil Blue

On November 17, 2007, 17 year old Neil Blue hosted an extremely successful third party fundraiser for the MS Society that raised $9700.  The fundraiser was organized by Neil and hosted by the Edmonton Demolay chapter that he is a member of.  The Demolay is a youth group for young men aged 12-21.  The group is dedicated to preparing them to lead successful, happy and productive lives.  “It is a group of great young men who really want to make a difference in the community,” says Neil.
            In 2007 Neil was serving a term as Master Councilor of the Demolay and therefore had a part in deciding what charity their upcoming event would support.  “I chose MS because I have an Aunt and an Uncle that have been affected by the disease,” says Neil.  “I remember when I was young my Uncle had a cane to help him walk but now he can’t walk, is in a home, and can’t even speak, so I wanted to do something to help.”
            The event he organized was a murder mystery dinner with a silent and live auction.  The event took place at the Shrine Centre – a space which was donated to them by the Shriner’s.  Neil along with other fellow Demolay’s dressed up and acted out the murder mystery.  “It was a lot of fun and everyone really enjoyed it, we asked females from the Edmonton Jobies group to play out the female roles,” says Neil.  Close to 175 people attended the event.
            At the end of the evening combined proceeds from ticket sales and auction items came to $6700.  “My dad helped me out a lot in making sure we would raise money with the event but I didn’t expect it to be as much as it was,” says Neil.
            However, Neil didn’t stop there.  He proceeded to contact the Alberta Masonic Youth Foundation and the Alberta Parents Club.  Both of these associations were so impressed with his efforts that together they contributed an additional $3000.
            “Sure organizing the event was stressful and it required a lot of hard work but I really wanted to make a difference so I put my mind to it and pulled it off,” says Neil.  Neil also added that “if I can do it then other people can jump on the bandwagon as well.”

Broadcasting live to raise $10,000 for MS
Chad Ohman appears to be a typical 15 year old high school student interested in computers and interactive media.  However, instead of playing around with this technology for fun he is using it for a great cause.  “I have a responsibility to give back to my community so I have found ways to use my abilities to do so,” says Chad.
       Chad’s abilities include bike riding and being computer savvy.  He decided to combine these abilities by registering as a cyclist in the RONA MS Bike Tour – Leduc to Camrose, on June 7 and 8, and broadcasting his journey in the tour live via a webcam on www.msbiketourlive.com.  This is Chad’s first year riding in the tour and he has set a goal of raising $10,000 for multiple sclerosis.
        Why MS?  “I haven’t been affected by MS personally, however it seems that in the last two to three years, the amount of press concerning MS has increased rapidly,” says Chad.  This spurred him to research the disease and in the process he learned that anyone can be affected by MS including young males like himself.  “I realize that multiple sclerosis is a very serious disease that affects millions of people world wide and I feel that MS needs more help in finding a cure,” says Chad.
         Chad is hoping that his website will do the trick.  “I could easily raise $10,000 if I have enough publicity and traffic on my site and if enough people feel that their money is going to a good cause.  I think that by showing myself riding in the tour with 1700 other people – it will spur people to chip in $25 or more – it is possible,” says Chad.
         With that enthusiasm Chad is contacting everyone he knows to tell them about what he is doing.  He is actively putting up posters around his community and in his school and contacting high trafficked websites to see if their will post a link to his site and mention his goal.  He has a lot of work ahead of him but is very excited for the challenge.  For more information on Chad’s project visit www.msbiketourlive.com

Alberta Division
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
#150, 9405 - 50 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2T4

To locate the MS Society office near you, please select the appropriate chapter: