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Partnership
Opportunities
Please browse the following sections to get to know the MS properties that are available for partnership. No matter which property you choose, we have dedicated staff that are responsive and can customize a program suited to your needs.
MS Walk
Every Step Matters
 The MS Walk is the largest national fundraising program for the MS Society of Canada. Last year, more than $13 million was raised for MS research and services. More than 60,000 walkers and volunteers in over 161 communities throughout the country are involved with the MS Walk.
The Walk is a one-day event which offers routes of varying lengths, at least one of which is wheelchair accessible. Walk participants raise money by securing pledges from their friends, family and co-workers. The majority of the MS Walk event sites are held in April and May with a few occurring in September.
The MS Walk began in Canada in 1991 with successful events in Edmonton, Alberta, St. John's, Newfoundland, and Kingston, Ontario.
The typical walk participant:
- Is likely to be female between the ages of 25-44
- Has graduated university and owns a house
- Has an annual household income of $70,000 or more
- Is a full-time professional
Program highlights:
- 19 year history
- 161 event sites from coast-to-coast
- 60,000+ participants and volunteers
- Major national and local media coverage
- 2.7 million brochures with sponsor logos distributed across the country
- 21,000 posters
- 49,000 mass distribution sites
- 31,000 t-shirts given as prizes to top fundraisers
- Excellent opportunity for product sampling, employee involvement, on-site opportunities and logo exposure
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RONA MS Bike Tour
Gear Up to end MS
 The RONA MS Bike Tour is a one- or two-day cycling adventure through rural areas for both recreational and experienced cyclists. Participants raise funds for the MS Society by obtaining pledges from their friends, family, and co-workers. Participants are provided safe routes, healthy food, support vehicles, bike repair, massages, first aid, entertainment and comfortable accommodations. The tours take place from June to September each year.
The first MS Bike Tour was held in August 1989, attracting 600 cyclists and raising more than $400,000. Since then, the program has raised over $26 million and draws thousands of enthusiastic riders from across Canada in the movement to end MS. The RONA MS Bike Tour now boasts over 10,000 participants and volunteers at 21 event sites across Canada.
The typical Bike Tour participant:
- Is between the ages of 35-54
- Has graduated university and owns a house
- Has an annual household income of $100,000 or more
- Is a full-time professional
Program highlights:
- 20 year history
- 21 event sites from coast-to-coast
- 10,000+ participants and volunteers
- Major national and local media coverage
- 1.2 million brochures with sponsor logos distributed across the country
- 7,000 t-shirts given to participants
- Excellent opportunity for product sampling, employee involvement, on-site opportunities and logo exposure
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MS Carnation Campaign
 The MS Carnation Campaign is the MS Society’s oldest national fundraising program and is held on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day. During the MS Carnation Campaign, thousands of volunteers located in shopping malls, office towers and on the street sell live and artificial carnations to the public. Since it began in 1976, the MS Carnation Campaign has raised over $45 million for MS research and services. In addition to fundraising, the MS Carnation Campaign is also an important public awareness vehicle for the MS Society.
Program highlights:
- 34 year history of success and name recognition
- All walks of life in all communities throughout Canada
- Public transit riders, retail store shoppers, community at large
- Excellent opportunity for mass marketing campaign or public awareness on a national level
- The only MS event that takes place on one weekend coast-to-coast
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MS Read-A-Thon
 The MS Read-A-Thon began in Canada in 1977 as a pilot project at Jack Miner Senior Public School in Scarborough, Ontario. Since then, the MS Read-A-Thon has educated approximately four million elementary school children about multiple sclerosis, has encouraged those students to read more than 24 million books and raised approximately $35 million to provide services for people living with MS and to fund research.
Last year, almost 40,000 students read more than a million books through the Read-A-Thon. They raised $1.7-million in support of the MS Society's work to fund multiple sclerosis research and provide education and aid to those with the disease, their families and caregivers.
Program highlights:
- 32 year history
- Excellent opportunity to promote literacy and MS awareness across Canada
- 40,000 students registered and 1,000+ participating schools
- Presentations to approximately 190,000 students annually
- Over one million books read and $1.7 million raised annually
- Extensive collateral development and direct marketing:
- 240,000 “Dear Parent Letter” – given to a parent/guardian of participating students
- 240,000 MS Read-A-Thon registration brochures
- 1,000 staff room posters
- 1,000 pledge kit mailboxes – displayed in schools for the duration of the program
- 150,000 business reply envelopes – given to each student for their pledges
- 6,000 fall direct mail pieces – sent out to schools as a marketing piece
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TeamMS
Create a Team. Create a future free of MS.
TeamMS is a national program designed to give corporations, their local operations, branches and employees an opportunity to build closer ties with the communities they service.
 With a strong corporate endorsement, your employees, customers, friends and families are encouraged to participate in the MS Walk or RONA MS Bike Tour at one of the 185+ event sites across the country. Employees are given the chance to work together as a team to fund raise for a good cause while reinforcing corporate team philosophies in a setting that has profile, is enjoyable and meaningful.
 TeamMS staff across the country is available on an on-going basis to help with the registration process, goal setting, team development and to provide support for fundraising activities.
TeamMS is a low-cost opportunity to associate your brand with a great cause and make a difference for someone coping with multiple sclerosis. Enhance your presence in the community and show your customers that you are a caring corporate citizen.
Program highlights:
- Very cost effective opportunity to associate with a great cause and participate in proven team building activities for your employees
- Enhance your corporate involvement and exposure in numerous communities across Canada
- MS staff available across the country to reduce administrative demands and support all your Team’s recruitment and fundraising activities
- Major national and local media coverage
- Great social outing with tons of prizes, food and fun
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