Walkers, runners step up the pace for multiple sclerosis cure
By Samantha Yale
Special to the Simi Valley Acorn

MICHAEL COONS/Simi Acorn EXERCISING FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T-Over 200 people participated in Saturday's Multiple Sclerosis Walk in Simi Valley.

Jeff Dember was one of the fastest cross-country runners in the nation when he competed at the University of Texas at El Paso. He went on to become the coach for several runners who are nowcompeting on the Olympic level.

That was a long time ago, however.

Today, Dember cheers the athletes from the seat of his wheelchair. The Simi Valley resident was diagnosed in 1986 with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, often debilitating disease of the central nervous system. For the past eight years he has fired the starting gun for the Simi chapter of the MS Walk for Multiple Sclerosis, sponsored by the National MS Society.

Dember said he used to run in the event, and though he is unable to continue he still wants to help raise money for those who have the disease and can’t afford the equipment they need.

The combination 10K walk and 5K run started and ended last Saturday at Rancho Tapo Park and drew about 200 participants, said Lisa Northrop, community development coordinator for the Channel Islands Chapter of the National MS Society.

This is the 13th year the Simi MS Walk has been held. Northrop said the event hopes to raise $30,000 in Simi Valley alone and $115,000 for the entire Channel Islands Chapter, which held a similar event last week in San Luis Obispo.

Corporate sponsors of the Simi walk included Milgard Windows and Pentair Pool Products. Many participants were privately sponsored by their companies and other groups.

Maryanne Peters of Thousand Oaks, a part-time employee of the MS Society who has multiple sclerosis, said much of the money raised by the walk goes into research, but also helps patients with their home and hospital treatment. "We’re learning so much through research," Peters said. "It’s a really exciting time to be helping,"

And help they did.

Local grocery stores donated bagels, fruit, water and juice to fuel the runners and walkers, and there was even massage tables for those who needed to be kneeded after the event was over. The Simi Valley High School cheerleaders turned out in full uniform for the occasion.

A ham radio group, a college sorority and the California Conservation Core also were on hand to help out.

Forty employees from Homestore.com, an online real estate company, came to walk the 10K on behalf of Thousand Oaks MS patient Chris Tieman.

Last year the employees pushed Tieman in a wheelchair the entire route. "I’m going to see how far I can go and next year I’ll go further," said Tieman, who walks with the assistance of a cane.

Other MS walks are planned for this weekend inVentura and Santa Barbara.