Didn’t attend the Jumpstart Your Fundraising meeting on January 26? Not a problem! We recorded the best advice, inspiration, and success stories for how you can fundraise toward a cure for multiple sclerosis.

In this audio recording, you’ll hear from Sue McCook about how to recruit restaurants and bars to your fundraising efforts; Ann Scannell about her team’s fundraising efforts; and Steve Urquhart about corporate donations and company matching.

Stay tuned for more episodes of MS Challenge Talk!

Didn’t attend the Jumpstart Your Fundraising meeting on January 26? Not a problem! We recorded the best advice, inspiration, and success stories for how you can fundraise toward a cure for multiple sclerosis.

In this audio recording, you’ll hear from Michael Derick about why he does the walk and how to recruit for your team; Ken Gagne on how to expand your fundraising network; and Donn Hockman on how to host sustainable fundraising events.

Stay tuned next week for more excerpts from this MS Challenge Walk brainstorming session!

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with walkers and crew who participated in their first-ever MS Challenge Walk in 2012 about what brought them to the cause, how they trained for the undertaking, and their experiences on the trail. Those who spoke to Ken en route to the finish line include Rebecca Urquhart, Ashley Doyle, Trevor Fairbaugh, Rose Milefsky, Jodi Dwyer, Anne Marie Rogers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Tigger, Sarah Matera, and Emily Flanders.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Carolyn Rossi, captain of Walk With Wheels. When Carolyn was diagnosed with MS thirteen years ago, her friends wanted to do something to help. But how could she let them do something she wasn’t willing to do herself? She signed up for MS Challenge Walk — and has been tackling it from her red wheelchair every year since. The only help she accepts is knowing her husband is on bicycle crew and her son Ethan is cheering her on; with that support, she tackles every hill herself, refusing to lie down on the job, determined to see a day when there is no more need for this event.

This is the final episode of MS Challenge Talk. Thank you to all our guests and listeners for having been a part of this wonderful series of interviews!

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Sara Bromley, captain of Sara’s Steele. Sara participated in her first MS Challenge Walk in 2011. Despite being an employee of the National MS Society’s Connecticut chapter, she tackled the event with the same training and fundraising requirements as any walker. In this interview, hear her speak from the three perspectives of a patient with MS, a walker, and an NMSS employee.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Debra Flanagan of Jerry’s Jems. Deb walks every year in honor of her father, who has lived with MS since before Deb can remember. In this interview, she talks about what is "normal" for a family with MS, what she gets from her NMSS family and on Facebook that she can’t find anywhere else, and why Jerry’s Jems doesn’t feel competitive with other teams — because we’re all on the same team: “The ultimate goal is getting rid of MS. Getting a cure. Getting it gone — donezo — complete — put with the dinosaurs — seeya later.”

Also this week, hear from Brenda Barbour, the NMSS Greater New England Chapter’s Associate Vice President of Volunteer Development, in an excerpt from last week’s crew meeting as she prepares her volunteers for an amazing event.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Judy Lecesse of Cocktails for a Cure. Having previously served on the crew as a member of the “lunch bunch”, Judy is making MS Challenge Walk 2012 the first time she’ll join her team’s walkers in strolling 50 miles across Cape Cod. How does she go from no required fundraising to $1,500 minimum? By selling jewelry! Listen to her sales pitch and the interactions she has with her family-based team in this interview.

Also check out the travel & information guide for details about the walk weekend and its logistics!

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Jodi Dwyer, captain of The Bean Team. When Jodi was diagnosed with MS just a few years ago, she immediately became an activist, walking the one-day Boston walk and becoming a crew captain at the MS Challenge Walk, where she organized events under the Big Top Tent. This year will mark her first as a walker. In this interview, Jodi discusses why she wasted no time in becoming involved in the NMSS, and how she and her team are transitioning from six miles to fifty.

Remember to submit your mandatory online housing form, which is due today!

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Kim Tynan, captain of Gordon’s Team, and her husband Tim. When Kim’s brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the family rallied by signing up for the first MS Challenge Walk in 2002. The intervening decade has seen the team and family grow in ways they never expected, with the spirit of the event becoming a part of their lives throughout the year. Learn why the Tynans look forward to being a part of the MS Challenge Walk family every September in this interview.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with John Keefe, known to many as "The General". With his military garb and drill sergeant-like demeanor, The General (or sometimes "Sarge") has been rallying the troops of MS Challenge Walk for more than a decade. In this interview, John commends walkers for not resting on the sidelines and instead doing something to find a cure for his bride’s MS, and reflects on the heroes who have inspired him along the trail and the unique challenges that caretakers experience.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Jenny McKenzie, captain of Team Hot Pack. This team of physical therapists made a colorful debut at MS Challenge Walk 2011, vibrantly strolling across the Cape with their hot pink sweat socks and shirts that screamed, “FEEL THE BURN!” Now in their second year, the Hot Pack will again be making the trek from upstate New York to participate in MS Challenge Walk. Listen to where they find their sense of community while residing outside the scope of the NMSS’s Greater New England Chapter, and learn about their … unorthodox fundraising events.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with MaryAnn Rollings, otherwise known as “The Flag Lady”. Every year, MaryAnn walks 50 miles, accompanied by a walking stick adorned with a growing number of bandannas. And each year, MaryAnn adds to the bandannas another name of someone who inspires her to complete MS Challenge Walk. Listen to her tell the story of how she came to the event and the heroes she’s met along the way.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Wendy Smith, captain of team Walk With Wendy. With the support of her husband and son and many friends, Wendy has both walked and crewed MS Challenge Walk. In this interview, she discusses the challenges of tackling 50 miles with MS and the joys of having a community and family supporting her.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Kathy Hannon and John Steinmann: siblings, former members of the Scrap Dogs, and now co-captains of Team Sole Train. These two energetic walkers have mastered the art of working with their community, collaborating with local businesses to run creative and mutually beneficial fundraisers. Listen as they share their tips and tricks for meeting and exceeding their goals.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Heather Hancock. Hancock first participated in MS Challenge Walk in 2003 in honor of her grandmother. A year later, Heather received her own diagnosis of MS. Her work as a physical therapist has given her a unique perspective on the trials of MS, yet she’s never let it stop her from captaining team All Smiles for 50 Miles as she and her friends together walk the Cape Cod Rail Trail to defeat MS.

Heather is a published author, having written “Choosing Life: One PT tells her own story of living with multiple sclerosis” for ADVANCE for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine journal, as well as several blog posts about MS Challenge Walk.

Also in this episode: advice from steering committee co-chair Jack Enright, given to attendees at the Jumpstart your Fundraising brainstorming session on May 19, about how to conduct a letter-writing campaign. And be sure to check out the Training and Fundraising Guide to find a training schedule that works for you.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with crew person Marianne Dilworth. It took Marianne a few years to “come out” with her diagnosis of MS, but since she did, she has relentlessly supported any and all National MS Society events. “Pocahontas” can be found cheering, blasting music, and handing out hugs and kisses to walkers, bicyclists, motorists, and anyone else who needs support anywhere else on the route. In this podcast, you’ll learn her reason for such passionate dedication — and her cause will become your cause, too.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Johanna Hising DiFabio. After being diagnosed with MS, Johanna fought back by signing up for Boston Walk MS. Having walked those three miles, she and her team decided to "kick it up a notch" and tackle MS Challenge Walk. With the minimum fundraising going from $25 to $1,500, Johanna learned to be persistent with her efforts, sharing her personal story and asking for support not just once but many times.

Resources that Johanna recommends include the IcyHot Naturals rub, as well as the Boundless Fundraising application for Facebook. To install, go to your Participant Center and click the "Fundraise with Facebook" button.

And while you’re on Facebook, please help answer this first-year walker’s questions about proper training and gear!

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

This week, host Ken Gagne speaks with Todd Krohne of team Krohne’s Buzzards. Todd’s involvement with MS Challenge Walk began shortly after he was diagnosed with MS. He then moved from participant to organizer as Director of Development for the Greater New England Chapter of the National MS Society, after years of which he is now again a walker. In this interview, Todd reflects on the changes to the walk and his relationship to it over the years, and the importance the event and its walkers play in the larger mission of the National MS Society.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

Paige Magratten of Team Rhode Trippers has participated in every MS Challenge Walk. Her team has grown to include her husband Brooks, daughter (and budding poet) Colby, a merger with another local team, and many family and friends. In this week’s MS Challenge Talk, Paige talks about having a mixed team of walker and crew, using postal letters and postcards to fundraise, remind, and team-build, and the ways kids can participate in the MS Challenge Walk event and community.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

Mara Matos walked her first MS Challenge Walk in 2011 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. She’s back in 2012 as captain of a brand-new team, the Mars Stars. In MS Challenge Talk, she speaks with Ken about fundraising in the workplace and getting corporate matching for charitable donations; how she can walk 50 miles without training or blisters; and how she ended up gracing the cover of this year’s fundraising & training guide.

Mentioned in this show is the packing list the NMSS recommends for the MS Challenge Walk weekend; see page 32 of this guide for details, or read one walker’s suggested packing list. To fundraise through Facebook, go to your Participant Center and click the blue "Fundraise with Facebook" button.

Welcome to MS Challenge Talk, a weekly audio recording that introduces you to the people and stories behind MS Challenge Walk.

In this inaugural episode, host Ken Gagne interviews Susan Cohn-Child, captain of team Lemon Aid. Susan was diagnosed with MS when she was 30 years old and has been using MS Challenge Walk as a way to fight back since the event’s launch in 2002. From her son running a lemonade stand to her her husband donating his photography skills, Susan has rallied her family and her community around this personal cause. As a member of the event’s steering committee, she has been outspoken about MS whenever given the opportunity.

This show tells Susan’s story, speaks briefly with the MS Challenge Walk coordinator about what’s new with the event, and looks at upcoming fundraising and training events. Use the player below, or find the show in iTunes!