So Jennifer and I are sitting here still reeling from a flurry of weekend Walk MS events. Certainly, participating in the MS walk to increase awareness about multiple sclerosis and raise money to support MS research and programs is an annual event we look forward to every year.
but even though this was the seventh year we’ve walked together with team MonsterS at the walk in frankenmuth, this was unlike anything we’ve ever done before. first of all, it isn’t every year the national ms society asks me to be a power partner and say a few words at the starting line, umm no pressure!
Jennifer did an incredible job as a Power Partner getting the walkers fired up and convincing them that the early morning rain was going to stop.
and i promised the walkers that there would be no need for umbrellas 🙂
And if Jennifer was feeling any pressure addressing the thousands of people at the walk, she didn’t show it. I imagine she, like me, had gotten used to being watched. After all, we had just spent the day before the walk with a two-man production crew from StudioPMG in Irvine, California, who were interviewing us and getting footage for our Acorda Therapeutics national contest winning podcast.
darren and joe are two of the nicest guys we’ll ever meet and we are so looking forward to seeing what they develop for the podcast that soon will appear on acorda’s “I walk because” web site. they continued following us at the walk – joe on foot with his digital camera and darren on skateboard (!) with his video camera – filming us and asking more questions. not to be forgotten was ryan, a modern day kato from the pink panther, hiding amongst trees and on bridges taking our picture for a photo story he’s developing for the local newspaper.
While the media attention was an exciting one-of-a-kind element of our walk experience this year, the continued support of our family and friends is what made this last weekend’s event as meaningful as ever for us. There’s something indescribably humbling about the amount of support we receive from our loved ones for the walk as well as throughout each day of the year.
We’re looking forward to showing you pictures and telling you more details about these Walk MS 2009 experiences in the next week or so. Check back with us here soon!
Dan and jennifer
I believe the exact phrase Jennifer used was, “Put those umbrellas away – we’re walking on sunshine!”
Those words have just stuck with me the past few days. I think they really capture your overall attitude and outlook on life. I wish there were more people on this earth like the two of you!