Join the 5,000 people expected to participate in the MS Walk at Husky Stadium Apr 3

TOP Food and Drug and Haggen Food and Pharmacy stores, including TOP Foods in Shoreline, are leading the fundraising efforts as presenting sponsors for the annual Walk MS events planned for April 2-3.

They have already have raised nearly $68,000 this year for the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It seems that almost everybody in Washington knows somebody battling MS.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

Local TOP Food and Drug stores are encouraging the public to join them in supporting Walk MS, the largest annual fundraiser of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Our closest location is the Husky Stadium 4 mile walk at the University of Washington campus which will be held on Sunday, April 3.

Supporters seek donation pledges. They can participate as individuals, join a team or start a team. The public also can support walkers by making donations in their name at the WalkMSnorthwest website.

TOP Food and Haggen stores are again matching a portion of the donations raised by employees who are participating in Walk MS. Stores, employees and customers already have raised $68,000 this year through $1 sales of MS “feet,” fundraising events at stores and sales of T-shirts and reusable bags. TOP Food and Haggen stores have raised nearly $400,000 since 2004 for the MS Society’s Greater Northwest Chapter.

The chapter serves 12,000 people living with MS in Western and Central Washington, Montana and Alaska. Walk MS donations also fund research to find a cause and cure for the disease.

More than a fundraiser, Walk MS is a celebration of hope and moving forward. Participants will enjoy breakfast and lunch, live music along the walk, face painting, entertainment for children, awards and much more.

Registration at 8:30 am, program at 9 am and walk at 9:30 am.

Sunday, April 3, Husky Stadium, Seattle (four miles).

For more information, visit the WalkMS website.

Haggen, Inc. operates 29 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the TOP Food and Drug and Haggen Food and Pharmacy names. Headquartered in Bellingham, it is the largest independent grocer based in the State of Washington. For more information, visit Top-Foods and Haggen websites.