Maren Mullin vividly remembers the day her life would change forever.
On Sept. 9, 2009, Mullin, a 29-year-old Park City resident, found out she had multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, the Seattle, Wash., native who has lived in Park City for the last eight years, is ready to make a difference.
The 22nd annual Walk MS 2011 is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 30, at the Gateway Mall. It is anticipated there will be nearly 4,000 Utahns from the Wasatch Front who will partake in the fundraiser.
Mullin has put together a team of 25 people to walk Saturday, and she is hoping the numbers continue to grow.
“I’m thrilled,” she said. “Obviously I’m trying to get everyone involved. It’s exciting.”
Mullin, who was diagnosed in the very early stages, added she is hoping that events like this can help raise awareness for the disease.
“I’ve been doing very well,” she said.. “We were very lucky that we were able to catch mine early. When I was first diagnosed, I was, of course, heart broke. You have these visions of people in wheelchairs, and there’s this stigma about MS stopping people’s lives.
“Instead of worrying and having this idea of what my life would be like with MS, why not change the way others see life is with MS?”
This will be Mullin’s first ever walk for MS. While she has a personal stake in the event, she said it’s most important to let people know about the walk and hope a significant amount of money can be raised.
“The most money raised, absolutely,” she said when asked what her main goal is. “That’s really what it’s about is raising more money for research to find a cure. That’s a goal for everybody.”
Meghan Bernstein’s main goal is to raise awareness of the disease within Utah. The senior at The Waterford School and a Park City resident, Bernstein’s mother was diagnosed with MS in 2003 and is trying to encourage annual family participation.
Bernstein said once her mother was diagnosed, her father immediately became involved in fundraising bike events with the MS Society. But she wanted to start something on her own.
“I just decided to get my school involved,” she said. “I decided to get as many people involved and spread the awareness of MS and get people aware of the disease.”
“It’s good,” she said when asked how the recruitment of participants is going. “It’s smaller than what I would have hoped, but I have some close friends joined and not close friends join. My mom was touched when the first person joined. (MS) doesn’t necessarily get the hype and the PR that most of the other walks get. This means a lot to my family.”
Bernstein, who will be attending George Washington University in Washington D.C., in the fall, is hoping her younger sister will continue the tradition of organizing a walking team.
Mullin’s recruiting of for participants has stretched all over the country.
“I have some friends flying in from out of state, bringing babies and dogs,” she said. “It’s a great excuse to see my friends.”
According to a press release by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, “Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. More than 2.1 million people worldwide and more than 400,000 Americans are affected. It is believed one in 300 Utahns live with the disease.”
To donate or sign up for the walk, go to www.walkmsutah.org . The walk is scheduled to begin 10 a.m. Saturday.