12 Ways to Get Involved This MS Awareness Month

Whatever you do — or don’t do — what’s important is that it feels right to you.

If you’re living with multiple sclerosis (MS), chances are you don’t need reminding that March is MS Awareness Month. It’s the month when all your well-meaning friends and family suddenly pay way more attention to the condition you deal with every day.

Even if you don’t need awareness about what MS is — like people new to the condition might — it can still be comforting to talk about and get involved with MS awareness events. Because with increased awareness, we can help bring about change and support for the community of almost 1 million U.S. people living with this unpredictable disease, as well as their families.

So if you’re looking to get involved this month, here are some events to consider. We’ve included both online and in-person events across the United States.

Join the free MS community!

Connect with thousands of members and find support through daily live chats, curated resources, and one-to-one messaging.

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Join Stream to End MS

Stream to End MS brings together content creators to help fundraise $40 million for MS research.

You can either join the event yourself as a content creator by linking your Twitch or YouTube account to your DonorDrive fundraising page, or you can donate to the event.

Attend an educational free webinar

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America will be hosting webinars throughout March supporting people living with MS. While they haven’t released the webinar topics yet for 2022, last year they hosted two webinars and gave participants the chance to ask questions following the discussion.

Share your story

Everyone benefits when we talk more about MS and how it affects people in their daily life. So if you feel up to it, share your story or talk about living with MS on social media with the hashtags #MSAwareness or #MultipleSclerosisAwarenessMonth.

During MS Awareness Week, which is March 13–19, 2022, the National MS Society will be amplifying stories like yours every day.

Celebrate World MS Day

May 30 is World MS Day, an event hosted by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation to unite people around the world to tell their stories, raise awareness, and campaign for change. 

The theme this year is “Connections” and there will be a number of events on the day to help you build community connections and access quality care if you’re interested. You can also search the map for local activities, or share an MS Heart photo or your story with the world.

Join an MS walk

Walk MS events, hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise funds for MS research, generally take place all month long (and into the spring and summer).

Last year, the walks raised over $24 million for research toward a cure — even though all the walks were virtual due to COVID-19.

You can join one of the walks (or donate to one) near you on the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website.

Support a Bike MS event

If you prefer cycling to walking, join or fundraise for a Bike MS event near you. These events will be held nationwide so you can find one near you on the National MS Society’s website. Around 75,000 cyclists and 6,000 teams are expected to attend in 2022.

Go to a cocktail fundraiser

There are a number of National MS Society cocktail and luncheon fundraisers held all across the United States to raise funds for MS research, including:

• Uncorking the Cure for MS in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This cocktail and dance event will be on March 4 at the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown. Tickets start at $250.
• MS Soiree in Chicago, Illinois. This cocktail party fundraiser will be on March 4. Tickets start at $210.
• Together for a Cure Luncheon in Salt Lake City, Utah. This silent auction and champagne brunch is on March 12. Tickets are $150 and tables cost $1,500 for a table.

Ski for MS

If skiing is a part of your life, you may enjoy registering for an upcoming SKI for MS event. The next event is at Palisades Tahoe in California on March 12, 2022, as part of a ski and snowboarding fundraising event for families living with MS.

Or, if you can’t make it to California, do your own DIY Vertical Challenge for MS. You can register for that anytime.

Attend an event benefiting the Rocky Mountain MS Center

For those in Colorado, there will be a number of events all month long, including:

• David Yurman shopping event where 10 percent of sales will support people living with MS on March 3, 2022, at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver
• Tokyo Joe’s Benefit on March 9 where 25 percent of all in-restaurant, take-out, and online food orders will benefit the MS Center
• Smashburger Dine-Back Event on March 16 at the restaurant’s downtown location, where 20 percent of your meal’s price will be donated to the center
• Kendra Scott Give Back event hosted at the Park Meadows Mall on March 26

For more information, visit the Rocky Mountain MS Center event page.

Tune in to RealTalk MS Podcast

Hosted by Jon Strum, an MS activist whose wife was diagnosed with secondary progressive MS in 1997, this RealTalk MS podcast discusses breaking news, information, and issues that affect people living with MS and their families every week.

Ask your loved ones to make a donation

Are well-meaning loved ones asking how to get involved? If they’d rather not join an event, let them know they can still offer support by making a donation to an MS organization.

Here are some to consider:

• National MS Society
• Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
• MS Focus
• Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis
• Rocky Mountain MS Center
• Can Do Multiple Sclerosis

Host your own fundraiser

March is a great month to raise awareness for such a personal cause. If you’re not sure where to start, several MS organizations offer tips on their websites for getting started and having the most impact, including the National MS Society and Can Do Multiple Sclerosis.

MS Focus will send you their “Event in a Box,” a guide that includes everything you need to get started.

The bottom line

Choosing to acknowledge MS Awareness Month is a personal choice. For some, it may feel empowering to get involved, while others may find the increased focus on MS uncomfortable.

Whatever you do or don’t do, what’s important is that it feels right to you.