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The MS Readathon is an annual sponsored read held by the MS Societies in Australia, Ireland, the United States and Canada.
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Australia
The MS Readathon run by MS Australia started in 1979 and is Australia’s premier reading-based fundraiser. The MS Readathon encourages Australians to read books, learn about multiple sclerosis (MS) and raise funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Participants can read for any 30 days in June, July and August. Sponsorship enables the MS Readthon to provide a certificate and reading rewards to participants who complete the program as a special thank you. There are different categories of rewards, dependent on the level of fundraising achieved.
The money raised by MS Readathon participants helps the MS Society to provide services to assist people living with MS such as physiotherapy, access to specialist MS nurses and respite care, whilst also working towards funding research into this mystery illness.
In the 30th anniversary year of 2009 $2.4 million was raised nationally from over 50,000 participants. Over 1 million books were read and almost 2,500 schools received a visit from an MS Readathon community representative.
In 2010, due to increased interest from parents, grandparents and members of book-clubs,the MS Readathon expanded to further involve adults under the banner of The Novel Challenge.
In The Novel Challenge participants choose a book list, read for 30 days and collect sponsorship which goes towards supporting the 20,000 Australians living with MS.
Ireland
The MS Readathon in Ireland is an annual sponsored read organised by the charity MS Ireland, encouraging children (and since 2003, adults) to read as many books as possible, and to collect a fixed amount per book from sponsors. The money collected goes towards MS Ireland's activities concerning sufferers of multiple sclerosis. 2004 was the event's 17th year. In 2003, the charity raised over 1.2 million euros.