A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. (TSE: AW.UN) celebrates its 6th annual Cruisin' to End MS day tomorrow to benefit and raise awareness for Canadians living with MS. One dollar from every Teen Burger® sold across the country on Thursday, August 21 will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. In its first five years, Cruisin' to End MS has raised $5 million to support people living with MS and MS research in Canada.
More than 800 A&W restaurants across the country will host Cruisin' to End MS events, which may include Cruisin' the Dub® classic car and hot rod gatherings, retro music, car hop service, A&W Root Beer® chugging contests, and visits from the Great A&W Root Bear®. In addition to buying a Teen Burger®, supporters can also purchase $1, $2 or $5 paper cutouts, give through in-store donation mugs or make online donations at cruisintoendms.ca; all of which goes towards supporting activities that help people touched by MS. A&W will also donate $1 to the MS Society of Canada for every RSVP to the A&W Cruisin' to End MS event on Facebook and every tweet or retweet with the hashtag #CruisinToEndMS.
"Cruisin' to End MS is a vivid reminder of A&W's dedication to people with MS in communities across Canada," says Yves Savoie, President and CEO of the MS Society of Canada. "Cruisin' to End MS directly impacts the quality of life of the 100,000 Canadians with MS and their families, and yields research discoveries that bring us closer to our ultimate goal of ending MS. We encourage Canadians to join us for Cruisin' to End MS."
Cruisin' to End MS day creates an opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal featuring a blissful Teen Burger®, hand-made onion rings, and frothy A&W Root Beer® while supporting the MS Society of Canada and its effort to find a cure for MS. This event attracts multiple generations of families with activities for everyone to enjoy.
"We are asking Canadians to join us on August 21 to help those living with MS by buying a Teen Burger®, making a donation, and encouraging their friends and family to do the same," says Paul Hollands, President and CEO of A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. "We are delighted that this fundraising initiative has been embraced by all of A&W's employees and burger lovers across the country. As a result, in five years we have raised $5 million to help end MS. We need the public's support to build on this achievement by making this year's Cruisin' to End MS bigger and better than ever."
Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, with 100,000 individuals living with MS, and every day three more people are diagnosed. MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in the country, causing a physical, emotional and financial burden that lasts a lifetime. The disease is complex and unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Although the cause of this often disabling disease is still not known, researchers are closer to finding the answer. The MS Society of Canada offers programs and services for people with MS and their families, and is also the highest per-capita funder of MS research in the world.
"Being diagnosed with MS at the age of 23 has turned me into a fighter," says Patrycia Rzechowka. "Every day, I fight against the fatigue, against the pain and the fear. But through the MS Society, I also fight for the cause and to raise awareness. I fight for those who have it worse than I do, and to prove that people with MS can do anything they set their minds to. The MS Society is the reason I believe that one day I'll be able to say I used to have MS."
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian foodservice industry. A&W is the nation's second largest hamburger restaurant company with 815 locations coast-to-coast. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken® and A&W Root Beer®. For more information, please visit aw.ca.
About multiple sclerosis and the MS Society of Canada. Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. It is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides services to people with MS and their families, and funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease. Please visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 for more information.