Hanging on to Hope for MS cure

 COMMUNITY — Victoria Street has had its share of interesting events but nothing quite like this.

On Thursday, Sept. 11, Mike O’Reilly will rappel down one of the tallest buildings in the city — the Plainsman Building (formerly the Bank of Montreal building) — in one of the most unique fundraising events the city has ever seen.

O’Reilly, chapter board chair and government relations chair for the MS Society B.C. and Yukon Division,  invented the stunt as a fundraiser for the charity. He calls it Hanging on for Hope. O’Reilly has MS himself.

He will begin to rappel at 10 a.m. from the top of the  building at the corner of Second Avenue and Victoria Street. The fundraiser is set up so that for every person who donates a minimum of $35, Mike will descend one foot. At a total height of 100 feet there will need to be 100 individual donations to allow him to finish his rappel. Volunteers will be at the base of the building to accept cash, cheque or credit card donations. All donations will receive a tax receipt from the MS Society of Canada.

O’Reilly was diagnosed with MS in 2009. Since his diagnosis he has travelled the world, started to lose his vision, hiked the West Coast Trail, was unable to move his right leg, went on injection medication and received the controversial CCSVI Surgery in California in 2011.

He is an ambassador for people with MS in the Kamloops area and advocates for people with episodic disabilities (including Diabetes, HIV, Arthritis, Crohn’s and Colitis).

“The two things that I am hoping to accomplish from the event are to raise money for the Kamloops MS Society and to raise the overall awareness of MS in our community,” he said.

“I am doing this event to not only help people in Kamloops that suffer from MS but ultimately to find a cure for MS.”

Hanging on for Hope is also a kick-off event for the annual Scotiabank MS Bike – Thompson River Ride happening on Sunday, Sept. 21. Staff from the MS Society will be onsite during Hanging on for Hope to support O’Reilly and to accept registrations for the Scotiabank MS Bike.

For more information about Hanging on for Hope or the Scotiabank MS Bike please contact the MS Society, Kamloops and Area Chapter at 250-314-0773 or email info.kamloops@mssociety.ca.