Participants gather for group photo prior to setting out on the Scotiabank MS Walk on Sunday. Photo 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Residents from the Prince George area gathered at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on Sunday for the Scotiabank MS Walk to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research and for support and services for those suffering from the disease.

Check-in co-ordinator for the Prince George walk, Sandy Stibrany, says the overall local fundraising goal this year is $25,000.  She says “I don’t think we’ll make it this year, we’re sitting at about $11,000 right now but we have money coming in right up until the end of the month, so we’re hoping to get as close as we can.”

For those unable to take part in the walk but would still like to donate she says “all you have to do is go online, www.mswalks.ca and choose your province, choose your location and you can make a donation.”

Stibrany says about 70 people, including 15 teams, registered for the walk on Sunday and she says along with the money raised by those participants, “this year, for the first time, we brought in vendors so we’ve got some small businesses who are supporting us as well.  They’ve all paid for the right to put their vendor booth here and that money will go into the pot as well.”  About 15 vendors had booths set up for the event.

There was also face painting, sandwiches and refreshments, “a good family event” says Stibrany.  “And every year we’re going to try to make this bigger and better.”

The walk was one of 18 held across the province involving more than 4,000 participants.