Moone boys launch school readathon

The 27th MS READaTHON officially launched with young Moone boy actors David Rawle and Ian O’Reilly. The young actors are self-confessed reading enthusiasts and have taken part in the MS READaTHON with their schools in Counties Leitrim and Mayo.

Schools in County Meath have plenty of time to sign up on www.msreadathon.ie The MS READaTHON reading month this year takes place from Friday October 10th to Friday November 10th 2014.

Ava Battles, Chief Executive, MS Ireland comments: “The continued support for MS READaTHON is hugely appreciated by the MS community in Ireland. Everyone loves when it comes around each year. We like to start into MS READaTHON with heart-felt congratulations and thanks to principals and teachers in the schools that take part, everyone who sponsors, and especially the young readers who read as much as they can in one month!”

An estimated 8,000 people have MS in Ireland, with thousands more family members affected. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease and is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults in Ireland.

Aoife Kirwan

Aoife Kirwan from Kildare, is 27 years old and mum to seven year-old Adam. Aoife was diagnosed with MS in her final year of college. An advocate for young people with MS, Aoife is a member of the MS & Me blog team where she shares experiences since her diagnosis.

She comments: “As a mum, being a part of the MS READaTHON is very important to me. My son Adam loves to read and because he knows exactly why raising money through things like the MS READaTHON is important, he is more interested - he wants to help people like mammy!”

Seven year-old Adam says it’s important for children to take part in the MS READaTHON because “it’s good to read.” He also says that MS Ireland uses the money raised to “help people with MS”.

Aoife continues: “As a young person with MS I felt very isolated and felt like I needed a connection with other people who were on similar journeys as me. Initially I didn’t want to engage with the community very much. I felt like MS was associated with older people and to be honest I didn’t want people to have this information on me. But now, it’s changed and I really think there’s a need for people, especially young people, to come forward and speak about their experience. That’s why I decided to engage with MS Ireland, very heavily at this point! But I know that people should do that in their own time and not everybody is ready to take that step in the very early stages of their diagnosis but it’s very beneficial to engage with the community.”

MS READaTHON is the key annual fundraising campaign of Multiple Sclerosis Ireland, the services, information and research organisation supporting people affected by MS.

For participating schools around the country, the 27th MS READaTHON will provide:

Individual gift or certificate for each reader

School and Library awards

10 per cent of the money raised goes back into much needed resources for each participating school

The “Great Teacher Holiday draw”

MS READaTHON school ambassadors, local people living with MS, will visit schools as part of the campaign to help students understand more about the condition.