Starting in 2003, March became designated as the MS Month used to promote awareness of MS. The state of Florida held the first ever campaign for Multiple Sclerosis Month in the city of Ft. Lauderdale. This city also happens to be where the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation has its headquarters. Since this initial campaign, MS Awareness Month activities, events, and gatherings have popped up all over the US. MS is a disease with many symptoms that aren’t visible, yet it can still become a severely debilitating disease. The scope of Multiple Sclerosis is broad, leaving a lot of unanswered questions for many people, especially those who aren’t directly connected with MS.
Anyone who wishes to get involved with promoting MS awareness during the month of March can do so by contacting the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Awareness Kits are available from MSF for free. These can be used to enable people to raise awareness about MS within their own community. The material enclosed in each kit can be used for anyone in the community; the media, patients, family members, healthcare workers, or a person just looking for more information on MS. Kits are available during February and March, but can only be mailed within the US.
National MS Month Activities
Community members create a variety of activities for MS Awareness Month. There isn’t a list of specific activities designated that have to be used; anything that promotes awareness to a large group of people is fantastic. Holding a lecture series is a possibility for an activity to do during MS Month. This event would give people within the community the chance to hear about Multiple Sclerosis from a professional. Gathering a list of community members with MS to talk about their experience with the disease is another idea for an activity that could be used to raise awareness.
If a large space is available, different stations could be set up with literature on various aspects of MS. There could be a table for each: medications for managing MS symptoms, treatments for changing the course of the disease, methods used to prevent relapses, details on new procedures or medications regarding MS that have recently made the news, diet tips, exercises used to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility in MS patients, or pamphlets for assistive technology people with MS could use if they have limited mobility.
MS Month is an excellent time of year to get out there and boost the community’s awareness about MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society also offers information to assist those willing to spend time promoting awareness about this disease, especially during Multiple Sclerosis Month.
