February Ends With Many Steps Against MS

The thought of taking the stairs to the top of one of New York's most iconic buildings may seem like just so much flight of fancy. But more than 700 hearty souls eagerly clambered from the 3rd floor mezzanine all the way up to the 69th floor of Rockefeller Center on Sunday Feb. 28.

And once they made their goal of reaching the Top of the Rock, participants were rewarded not only with one of the greatest views that New York City has to offer. They were able to enjoy a sense of accomplishment at having collectively raised nearly a half million dollars to support the fight against multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Climb to the Top is an annual 66-flight stair climb taking place in Rockefeller Center to raise money for the National MS Society. Most of the stair climbers will make the way from the mezzanine to the famous observation deck in 15 minutes or more, but the fastest few will run their way up the five dozen flights in an impressive eight minutes.

And the annual event this year comes just in time to kick off an entire month of education and awareness on the affliction and on progress being made to better understand and treat it: March is National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month. Sponsored by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, the month-long series of outreach initiatives aims to shed a light on this neurological autoimmune disorder and to provide support to those whose lives are touched by a diagnosis of MS. The definitive cause and cure of MS both remain just beyond our grasp, and an especially cruel attribute of the affliction is how often it appears in young adults. But hats off to those in New York, and to all those just like them worldwide who are so willing to step up and give the disease a stare-down.

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and National Multiple Sclerosis Society both offer opportunities to learn more about symptoms and treatments, and how we can all lend support within our communities. Visit both websites to find out how to lend a hand during a March of progress against MS.

Photo by Martin St-Amant via Wikimedia Commons.