A popular burger chain in Maple Ridge will be raising money in the battle against multiple sclerosis, (MS), on Thursday.
A&W restaurants in Maple Ridge and across Canada, will be donating $2 from every Teen Burger sold to the MS Society of Canada.
Burgers to Beat MS Day is in its 13th year and is also being celebrated by Olympic gold medalist Christine Sinclair – all-time leading scorer in international women’s soccer, and Canadian women’s national soccer team captain – whose mother was diagnosed with MS when Sinclair was only about 12-years-old.
“Even when I was told that, it never sunk in. I had no idea what the disease was,” said the Burnaby soccer star in a video to promote the A&W fundraiser.
She remembered her mother, one summer at their cabin, suddenly not being able to get up on water skis.
“I just remember it being hard to see your hero slowly break down,” she said.
Teen burgers can be purchased through a drive-thru, take-out, the A&W mobile app, dine-in, in select regions, and through third-party delivery partners.
According to the MS Society of Canada, MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. It is considered an episodic disease, meaning that the severity and duration of illness and disability can vary and are often followed by periods of wellness.
Symptoms may include extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes.
Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49.
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world with an estimated 90,000 people across the country living with the disease, and an average of 12 Canadians diagnosed every day.
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The MS Society provides information, support and advocacy to people affected by MS, and funds research to find the cause and cure for the disease.
More than 1,000 A&W restaurants will be participating in the fundraiser meant to raise awareness of the disease.
Since launching the fundraiser in 2008, Burgers to Beat MS has raised more than $16 million. This year the company hopes to raise more than $1.5 million for the MS Society.
So far, they have raised $533,532.
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Burgers to Beat MS Day takes place all day on Thursday, August 19th, 2021.
In Maple Ridge, A&W is located at: 22805 Lougheed Hwy.; 20811 Lougheed Hwy.; and in Haney Place Mall at 11900 Haney Place.
To donate to the cause beforehand, customers can raise funds by choosing to round-up their bill with any purchase, making an online donation at BurgersToBeatMS.ca, or when ordering through A&W’s mobile app.
For more information about MS go to mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582.
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