We couldn't have asked for better weather for this year's annual Walk MS event.

More than 1,000 people turned out to the Monona Terrace to support the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which supports research and services for the 10,000 people living in Wisconsin with MS.

I was especially encouraged this year with the effort made by Team 15!  As team captain, I set a fundraising goal back in March and then had to increase it 8 times!  Wow!  We blew all of my expectations out of the water.

To those of you on the team this year -- thank you.

The walk is always an emotional event for me. This year was no different.  Prior to the start of the walk we watched a video, which was made by a young women who has MS.  It was supposed to be funny and it was.  But the end of the short film makes you realize how hard it is everyday for every person with MS.  When you don't have to struggle with a problem or ailment, you don't know what it is like. How could you?  That video put a person who does not have MS into the world of a person with the disease.  It was eye opening and really tugged at my heartstrings.

It's hard for me because I not only have a family member with the disease but also I now have many friends who are battling MS.  Thanks to my job, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you and telling your stories.  I try to raise awareness of MS whenever and wherever I can.  But in doing that, I have befriended so many people fighting the disease that I know I will fight for this cause until I die.  It frustrates me to the core.

But I had some good news delivered to me at the walk.  A young woman in her 30s approached me with such a smile on her face.  Her name was Shawna (sorry, not sure of the spelling!).  She proceeded to tell me that she was diagnosed last year and her neurologist told her she had nearly 50 lesions on her brain.  She started a medication right away and one year later, those lesions have dropped 50%!  Now that is amazing.  She calls it her miracle.  I hope to introduce you to Shawna in July, when we run a series of MS related stories prior to the MS 150.  She is such a beacon of hope.

I want to live in a world free of Multiple Sclerosis.  And I believe that can happen.  Sunday we took another big step forward thanks to you.