Corpus Christi Students Walk for Multiple Sclerosis

Many of the young students at Corpus Christi School don’t know exactly what multiple sclerosis is. They only know ‘MS’ is a disease but they’re willing to help, nonetheless.

So, for the fourth straight year, the Corpus Christi students donned their walking shoes to fundraise in hopes of finding a cure for the disease.

“The children are very excited to participate in the annual walk, even the little ones take part,” said Pre-K teacher Amy Strafford, who organizes the event every year. “It’s amazing that this small school raises the money that it does.”

To date, Corpus Christi students have raised more than $30,000 in three years. This year’s amount has not yet been totaled.

“It’s remarkable,” said Joe Revello, Strafford’s brother-in-law, who was diagnosed about 10 years ago with MS. “It’s a blessing that these kids do this.”

Revello, a Plainfield resident, along with Strafford have helped spearhead “Team Bradco,” (named for Revello’s former place of employment), which was the No. 1 fundraising team for multiple sclerosis in New Jersey last year and No. 2 in the nation.

Alexis Stone, Director of Teams and Corporate Development for the N.J. Metro Chapter of the MS Society located in Paramus, was grateful for the effort.

“”This brings awareness of the disease back to the community,” said Stone. “Our goal is to have more schools make this kind of effort.”

Meanwhile, Corpus Christi students marched through the school’s halls, on the playground and throughout the neighborhood in a symbolic gesture of the Society’s “Walk.”

“This is one of the school’s biggest fundraisers,” said Principal Michele Murillo, noting that the school does not keep any of the funds raised. “”This is all done in the spirit of what we’re all about, and it’s a good lesson for kids. We walk so that others can, too.”

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system and attacks the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this covering is damaged, nerve impulses are slowed down or stopped.

Multiple sclerosis affects between 250,000 to 350,000 men and women in the U.S. every year.