A Mission woman raised just over $1,400 and cycled in this past weekend’s annual Grape Escape MS Bike Tour, which took place in the Cowichan Valley.
Heather Armstrong is part of the MS Deraillers, a team comprised of her husband, Jim, Abbotsford’s Marty Darrow and Mission’s Roxanne Jopling-Hill.
“My goal was $2,000,” said Armstrong, adding she spent about a month fundrdaising for her fifth year in a row.
More than 500 cyclists gather for the event, which aims to collect money to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, according to the MS Society of Canada. The disease attacks the myelin which is a protective covering wrapped around the nerves of the central nervous system.
Armstrong is afflicted with MS, and her mother also has the disease. The Stave Falls resident also works for the MS Society.
Recently, while at a local grocery store, Armstrong was stopped by a fellow shopper who noticed her Bike Tour T-shirt and thanked her for her efforts.
It meant a lot to her, said Armstrong.
The District of Mission issued a proclamation in May in recognition of MS Awareness Month, and International MS Day (May 29).
The acknowledgement was appreciated, said Armstrong.
“It’s great having the District of Mission understand that it’s a disease that needed that awareness.”
For more information, visit mssociety.ca.
