endMS.ca

In the past two decades, Canadian MS researchers have made incredible contributions to the knowledge and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Canadians have been at the forefront of MS research, from advances in imaging technologies and speeding the diagnosis of MS to the recent focus on childhood MS.

However, if only a limited number of young scientists make MS their lifelong cause, the progress toward better treatments and, ultimately, the cure, might be at risk. This urgent need was recognized, and the endMS campaign was born.

What is endMS.ca?
The endMS campaign will raise $60 million over five years to support MS research in Canada. Its flagship investment is a new $20-million entity called the endMS Research and Training Network, which is intended to recruit, train, support and retain the next generation of MS researchers in Canada.

The first of its kind in the world, the endMS Research and Training Network is designed to increase the pace of discovery so that a cure can be found in the shortest time possible.

Funds raised through the endMS campaign represent an immediate, dedicated investment to advance Canada’s leadership position in MS research. The campaign uses a simple formula:

The best MS researchers
+ more MS research
= an accelerated end to MS
+ better quality of life

The first set of new research awards is designed to attract students to the field of MS research. The awards, launched in the fall of 2008, are available to students at the undergraduate, MD, PhD and post-doctoral levels, and are intended to first attract the best and the brightest, and then to launch them on a career path dedicated to MS research. More initiatives are planned as the endMS Research and Training Network evolves.

Fundraising
In its early “quiet phase,” the endMS campaign has raised well over $20 million toward the $60-million goal. High-profile donations include a $1-million gift from honorary endMS campaign chair and Scotiabank CEO Rick Waugh and his wife, Lynne, and a Government of Alberta commitment of $1.5 million.

The MS Society is confident about raising the remaining $40 million thanks to the commitment and leadership of an extraordinary campaign cabinet chaired by Alexander R. (Sandy) Aird and dedicated volunteers and staff across the country.

Official launch in September 2008
September 2008 marks the official launch of the campaign. The launch coincides with a major shift in positioning for the MS Society of Canada. The term “endMS” deliberately enforces the fact that as an organization, the MS Society is committed to nothing less than the extinction of the disease. While we work to end MS, the provision of services, improving public education and government relations remain key pillars of day-to-day operations of the Society.

A series of compelling ads that highlight the vision of ending MS can be seen and heard across the country. Two major media companies are supporting the endMS campaign:

- Astral Media has donated $1 million worth of advertising through its television, outdoor, radio and online properties. - Canwest Global will publicize the endMS campaign through its television and newspaper properties.

To see how the MS Society is communicating the endMS dream, visit www.endMS.ca. The website will have interactive tools such as blogs, photo and video uploads, and an opportunity for people affected by MS to share their own stories.

Ending MS will require the commitment of the entire MS community – researchers, donors, volunteers, members and friends. For more information, please visit www.endMS.ca.