COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Community members rushed to pick up their putters and grab golf balls for a good cause. The Colorado chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held their second annual mini golf fundraiser Sunday at Gold Mine Mini Golf.
The event included food trucks, snow cones, speakers, sponsors, a COVID-19 vaccination truck, and of course, mini golf.
Mel Harnett is a committee member for the group's MS Walk which usually happens in May. An unforeseen spring snowfall force the group to pivot.
Harnett was diagnosed with MS in 2009 and has been active in the community ever since. He shared his personal story with the participants, and encouraged them to seek the benefits of being active in peer-support groups.
He was very thankful for everyone who came out and wanted to community to understand the hidden struggle that MS patients endure.
"We're out there, we're in the communities, we're your neighbors, we're your coworkers, we're your friends. You know, we fight the battle every day with MS. That's what we battle with, we all battle it in our own ways, so having a support mechanism like the MS Society is really key to success", says Harnett.
News5's Rob Quirk served as emcee for the event. He shared how the disease has affected his family. Two of Quirk's sisters were diagnosed with MS. One has passed away, but the other is in full remission.
"We've been through the bad, we celebrate the good. We know how this is, that it's up and down. Takes a toll on all of us, but we're here because we continue to find a cure, and that is reality. That's what we're here for. That's what's going to happen. This is going to happen incrementally, but those stories of success are what makes these kinds of events so important", said Quirk.
If you'd like to learn more about MS, you can visit the website for the local chapter of the National MS Society.
_____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
