Sophie Thibault Asks You To Be Generous During the MS Carnation Campaign

MONTREAL, May 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The MS Carnation Campaign is on the move! From May 10 to 12, during MS Awareness Month, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division, is inviting the public to take advantage of the Mother's Day weekend to make a donation or buy a carnation to support all those who are affected by multiple sclerosis. This year, you can also show your support for the cause by wearing an embroidered carnation, a new symbol of hope for the 20,000 people in Quebec who have MS.

For the eighth year in a row, Sophie Thibault, anchorperson of TVA Nouvelles, will be the spokesperson for MS Awareness Month. She will try to educate people about the devastating effects of MS, a neurological disease that mainly affects people between the ages of 15 and 40. Sophie Thibault has a personal interest in this degenerative disease, because her mother had MS for more than 50 years. Her dedication to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada earned her the title of MS Ambassador in 2008. "During the MS Carnation Campaign, please give generously to the cause so you will be part of the historic moment when Canadian researchers announce that they have found a cure for multiple sclerosis," urges Sophie Thibault.

The nationwide MS Carnation Campaign, launched in 1976, is the MS Society's oldest fundraising campaign. Throughout Canada, during the three days preceding Mother's Day, thousands of volunteers offer real carnations to the general public in exchange for a donation to the MS Society. Last year, the fundraising campaign raised more than $1 million in Canada.

Three times as many women as men have MS. Mother's Day is therefore a perfect time to show support for all the people living with this neurological disease.

The whole world will show its solidarity with the cause on May 30: World MS Day. This May, use the power of the flower to end MS!

For more information, visit mssociety.ca/qc or call 1 800 268-7582.

Nathalie Kessler, Communications Coordinator, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division, 514 849-7591, 1 800 268-7582 (toll-free in Quebec) or [email protected].