FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Girls Soccer Team Kick Up Their Heels To Raise More Than $800 To Help Find A Cure
HAMDEN, Conn. Although local soccer team, Team Jenifer, shut out every team in the league this season, the players did more than just score goals. Players rallied in support of Cheshire resident Jenifer Walsh and her MS walk team to raise more than $800 to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS).
The team, comprised of 15 local eight- to 10-year-old girls, is signed with the U-10 League, which includes seven other teams. After hearing about Walsh and her fight against multiple sclerosis, the players and their families teamed up in support. Parents paid $5 or more for a win and $1 or more for a goal.
“Jenifer and I are amazed at the success of the team and the amount of money raised,” said husband Don Walsh. “We were delighted to witness the excitement of these young players when they met Jenifer for the first time at one of their earlier games. I believe that through this, the players have grown in awareness and now know anyone can contribute and make a difference even young people. They have to feel good about what they have accomplished on and off the field.”
Walsh, 42, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nine years ago. Since her initial diagnosis, she and her family have worked tirelessly to galvanize friends and relatives to help raise awareness and critically-needed funds to find a cure for the disease. Today, Walsh’s team is ranked among the top ten fundraising teams in the state, with 205 members participating last year.
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, like Walsh, live with the baffling effects of multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and there currently is no cure. Symptoms can range from numbness in the limbs, loss of vision and, in severe cases, complete paralysis. The progression, severity, and specific symptoms related to MS in any one person cannot be predicted, but advances in research and treatments are providing hope to those affected by the disease. Funds raised through chapter events, such as the 2007 Travelers MS Walk, ensure ongoing scientific research to find a cure and provide for vital programs and services offered by the Greater Connecticut Chapter to residents diagnosed with MS.
“The kids have learned the value of charity and working for a cause rather than themselves,” said Cheshire resident Carl Schoenwald, one of the four coaches directing Team Jenifer. “They are achieving a sense of pride by playing for Team Jenifer and a worthy cause.”
For more on MS walk team Team Jenifer or to contribute, please contact Jenifer Walsh at (203) 271-1332 or by e-mail at teamjenifer@aol.com. The 2007 Travelers MS Walk will be held at eight sites across Connecticut on Sunday, April 22, at a ninth site, Storrs on Sunday, April 15 and at a tenth site, Woodstock, on Sunday, April 29. To register for the 2007 Travelers MS Walk, please contact the National MS Society, Greater Connecticut Chapter at (860) 714-WALK (9255).
4/2/07
Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve quality of life for many people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Talk to your health care professional and contact the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at www.nationalmssociety.org or 1.800.FIGHT-MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.
Karen E. Butler
Vice President of Communications
Greater Connecticut Chapter
tel +1.860.714.2300
cell +1.860.997.4487
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ctfightsMS.org