MS Readathon

MS Readathon

Multiple Sclerosis Limited is delighted to announce the MS Readathon is back, this year celebrating its 37th year all in the name of fundraising for people living with MS. As one of the most loved authors of all time, Dr Seuss, said 'The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go"!

With only four weeks left to sign up, and with school holidays just around the corner, register and make a difference by doing something you love. To register go to www.MSREADATHON.org.au

Starting back in 1979, many of today's parents would have completed their first ever MS Readathon so it's incredible to think that this year, they will be encouraging their children to take part to help raise awareness and much needed funds for MS support services.

The MS Readathon is Australia's longest-running and most respected reading-based fundraiser, being a long-standing tradition in our schools. Through the simple and enjoyable act of reading, the MS Readathon empowers children to make a difference to the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis, their families and carers.

What many students participating in the MS Readathon are not aware of, is ALL reading - even homework – counts, so you don't have to add additional books on for every bit to count, you just need to read and get involved!

Over the past 36 years, almost six million people have taken part in the MS Readathon raising more than $40 million for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. The money raised has helped MS continue to provide vital services and support for people with MS such as occupational, physical and social therapy; peer support; advisory sessions through MS Connect; face-to-face education sessions; respite care in fully supported accommodation or in-home respite; workplace assistance; and ongoing renovations to residential facilities.

How Does The MS Readathon Work?
The joy of the MS Readathon is that you can register as a group or individually. Depending on how much you like to read, you can fly solo, or work together as a team. It's a great way to hang out with your friends and do something great at the same time!
Register online and ask your family and friends to sponsor you for reading during the month of August.
As there is no book list, everything you read counts, school books, comic books, magazines, websites, books that your parents read to you, books you read to your brothers and sisters and so on. Every word counts!
Check out this link for some book suggestions from us: http://www.msreadathon.org.au/MSReadathon/Booklist/tabid/97/Default.aspx
Everyone who completes the program will receive a Certificate of Appreciation.

Click here to see why you should register and watch the video

Seven Reasons Why Reading Is So Important:
Reading exercises our brains. Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is. Reading strengthens brain connections and builds new connections.
Reading helps kids develop empathy.
Reading develops a child's imagination. When we read, our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we're engaged in a story, we're also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation. Reading is a great form of entertainment! A paperback book doesn't take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you'll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag.

Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind.
Reading teaches children about the world around them. Through reading, they learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround them.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves) randomly, stopping the brain communicating with the rest of the body. It is the most common neurological disease in young adults.
Four people every working day in Australia are diagnosed – that equates to an additional 1,000 people each year.
The average age of diagnosis is 30, however, children as young as 10 have been diagnosed. Three quarters of people living with MS are women.
One in 20 Australians will be directly impacted through a diagnosed family member, friend or colleague.
No two cases of MS are identical. The visible and hidden symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from person to person and from time to time in the same person.
Symptoms may include extreme fatigue, blurred vision, loss of balance and muscle co-ordination, chronic pain, slurred speech, cognitive, continence and mobility issues, dizziness, altered sensation such as tingling, numbness or pins and needles.
MS is a lifelong disease for which there is no known cause or cure.