MS Awareness Month will be in full bloom on Thursday, as the Lloydminster Chapter of the MS Society begins its 3-day Carnation Campaign. This year’s Carnation Campaign will run May 10-12, with flowers being sold at five local Lloydminster businesses. Carnations are the MS Society’s floral symbol of hope, representing faith that one day a cure will be found for the disease, which affects more than 11,000 Albertans and 3,500 Saskatchewan residents.

In addition to being the MS Society’s longest-standing fundraiser, the Carnation Campaign is also the organization’s most volunteer-intensive undertaking, with more than 100 volunteers committing time to assembling and selling the flowers. “The Carnation Campaign simply wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of our dedicated army of volunteers,” says Johanna Green, Executive & Development Director of the Lloydminster MS Society. “We hope that people will recognize their efforts, and make a contribution to the fight against MS by purchasing carnations during our campaign,” Green adds.

The Carnation Campaign is traditionally held leading into the Mother’s Day weekend, offering an opportunity to purchase a gift that also helps support a worthy cause. This year’s sales locations include the Lloydminster Co-op Marketplace, Superstore, WalMart, Synergy Credit Union and Servus Credit Union (Atrium Centre location). Bouquets and potted carnations will be available for purchase during regular business hours.

While the Carnation Campaign marks the signature event of MS Awareness Month, there will be other opportunities for local residents to get involved with the cause throughout May. “Our mission this month is twofold,” says Green. “We want to open people’s eyes to the realities of this disease and its prevalence in this community. But we also want to inspire new and existing supporters to become more engaged in the work we do. Our existence depends on the contributions of volunteers, and there is arguably no greater reward than knowing that your efforts will truly make a difference in the life of someone battling MS.”

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