Action MS Walk
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http://www.stlouisvle.org/galleries/index.php?album=action-ms
Action MS Sponsored Walk by Ciarán Mulholland 10D
It can strike anybody at any stage of life. Multiple Sclerosis affects around 100,000 people in the UK. It is the result of damage to the myelin, a protective sheath surrounding the nerve fibres of the central nervous system. It has a terrible effect on people’s lives.
At assembly we were asked to raise as much money as we could and to participate in a sponsored walk in Tollymore forest park in Newcastle. After the assembly we were given sponsor booklets so that we could record who sponsored us and how much they gave. I failed miserably in this challenge to raise money for such a good cause. I fell ill the next day with a bad cold, running a high temperature and a cough a barking dog would be proud of, I was put to bed for days. I felt a bit guilty as my minor illness was stopping me from raising funds for such a terrible illness. I managed to raise a few pounds from family members the day before the walk when I eventually returned to school but hid my guilt well as others produced their filled sponsor cards and passed over their large sums of money.
Finally the day of the sponsored walk came. I woke up more excited than I had expected to. Why was I looking forward to spending a whole day walking? We were only missing the classes until lunchtime! I calmed myself down and got ready for school. My mother reminding me of my resent illness, told me to “wrap up warm, don’t forget your coat, have you plenty of tissues? What about a drink?”
When the bus started to move, everybody was on a high. We were getting away from school, even if it was only until lunchtime. We were allowed to sit on the bus using our phones and I-pods for half an hour there and another half hour back! When realising this, I knew why I was excited. I sat beside Mark on the bus. We spent the whole thirty minutes listening to Metallica songs and talking about music.
As luck would have it the weather was mild and unnoticeable in an ideal way for a long forest walk. We set off in groups or packs all setting off in the same direct and to the inaudible instructions coming from the teachers as their voices were lost in the branches of the trees. The walk itself was uneventful until Miss Clarke passed by us in a golf buggy after we spent ages walking! The vision was so sublime and ridiculous I’m still not sure if it actually happened, a teacher riding a golf buggy in a forest park while her subjects trampled through the undergrowth. What a terrible thing! Unfortunately there were no bears to jump out and scare the life out of someone or a rampant rabid squirrel to break up the monotony of the track.
The bus journey home was much like to journey to Tollymore. I sat beside Mark and as we tried to listen to our music we were constantly interrupted by an annoying year 9 pupil who insisted on reclining his chair, continually annoying Mark and I as his seat thumped our knees. All I can say is I was proud of my patience.
To say the day and the walk was uneventful is not strictly true because we achieved our aim and that St Louis pupils rose to the challenge and raised a significant amount of money that will hopefully make a deference to someone who is living with this destructive disease known as Multiple Sclerosis. After all that’s what the day was about.
Ciarán Mulholland 10D
Action MS Colecting and Walk by Caitlin Rooney
I was wondering about in my house. “Where is my booklet?” I roared out so everyone could hear. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Luckily I later found it wedged down between books in my school bag. Then I set off to start collecting money.
I walked outside deciding that I would go to my neighbour Lily’s house first. “Lily is nice,” I thought aloud “She will give me some sort of money” I walked up to her door. I was so nervous. What if she said no! But in the end I knocked at the door and waited for the reply. Shortly after she opened the door, surprised to see me.
“Hello Dear” she said.
I calmly replied “Hello, would you like to sponsor me for MS” “Of course” was the response I got and Lily went away rummaging through her olden time purse. Finally when she gave me two pounds, I thanked her then walked on to my next house.
From the next house I received another two pounds. I was pleased with myself: four pounds I had raised in 15 mins. I was amazed. I went home then, suddenly tired of collecting. “I will go again tomorrow”, I told my family.
Tomorrow came soon enough and I was out collecting again and this time I raised ten pounds! My family and friends gave me sixteen pounds, so altogether I had raised thirty pounds! I had raised more than I ever thought I would and I’m glad it was for charity.
I had done a great thing for charity and now all I had to do was the walk. We all loaded on to the bus excited about going on the walk. We had done it last year, so we knew it would be hard but we were still excited. We all wanted to succeed and finish the walk.
We started the walk. We had all received stickers and were ready to go. The walk was easy. Evan though some people were complaining! My friend fell at the start of the walk so she got a lift in the cart the whole way to the end of the walk! We were all walking and chatting at the same time. We were walking for what seemed like ages. Everyone was feeling tired at the very end. Then we had to walk up the steepest hill I had every seen in my life. Eventually we had completed the walk. Everyone was exhausted but had a great day.
By Caitlin Rooney
Action MS Walk by Dearbhla Sloane
A month ago we were given a sponsor card to raise money for Action MS. We had to raise as much money as possible for the charity. I approached my aunties and uncles and raised £80 in total. I was very pleased with myself.
When all the money was collected and counted, the school added up all the money from each class. We were all very pleased with the overall sum of money that was raised.
The next stage was a walk in Tollymore Forest Park. This was arranged for Friday the 2nd October. On that day five buses had arrived at the school. When we were on the bus we were given a sticker with a number on it.
It was wet and windy in Tollymore Forest. We arrived at about 10.30am. The organisers had a quick word with us about the rules of the park and then we began the walk.
It was cold and the leaves lying on the ground in the forest were slippy. It was fun walking through the scattered acorns on the ground. The trees were swaying in the wind. It started to rain so I put on my raincoat. I was freezing but as we walked faster I began to warm up. The route we were taking was over a bridge it was lovely looking over at the water flowing in the river. Then we went up a long and tiring hill. I looked over to my left and saw the most amazing view of mountains. We walked for about ten minutes up hill. It was very tiring. Eventually we had a break to catch our breath.
We had a sit down for five minutes and then we began to walk down hill. All together we had walked for one hour when we arrived back at our starting point. Everyone was tried and weak. We were all given a drink of orange juice. Then the organisers picked out ten stickers and stuck them on the van who ever held the matching sticker got a prize. Unfortunately I didn’t win. The prize was a lovely wallet.
The day was really enjoyable and it was really good to raise money for such a good cause and have fun at the same.
By Dearbhla Sloan
Collecting Money For MS – by Katie Sloan
“Oh Sugar!” I said. It was 5 O’clock on Thursday evening and I was to due to hand in my Action Ms sponsor book. I quickly put on my coat and ventured outdoors at dusk.
When I knocked on the first door that I came across, an old man with a hunched back, no hair on his head and appeared to have one tooth answered it.
“Good evening sir,” I greeted him in my politest manner.
“Good evening youngster,” he replied in his old man’s voice.
I reached for my sponsor book and pen and handed it to his shaky wrinkled up hands. He sighed, he wrote his name William, and he grumbled and pulled out one shiny pound from his pocket. He shut the door with out saying a word.
I then walked on down the road where I got to my next ‘victim’. I knocked on their cold hard red door; a tall figured man opened it.
“Good evening, “I said.
“I am sorry, I have no change. Come back later perhaps,” he said.
And then the red door was literally slammed in my face.
I then moved on to the next house. They didn’t even bother answering the door. This wasn’t turning out the way I had planned it! I went to my auntie’s house way up the road who gave me a generous two pounds. I felt happy knowing someone was generous.
I then walked on down the road. It was getting kind of dark and I couldn’t feel the tops of my fingertips anymore. When I knocked on the door a nice cheery happy face answered the door.
“Hello,” I said with a smile.
I explained all about why I was collecting money.
She went in to get her purse and gave me a generous four pounds and said,
“Here you go dear,”
“Thank you Miss, Good night then.”
The door was then shut.
I then had the stroke of luck; almost every door equalled a pound or so. Things were going great as I gathered in the last couple of pounds and was walking down the road. I was happy I had raised money for a great charity. I was proud of myself for even raising anything.
So next time I will remember sooner I have to collect money for charity.
By Katie Sloan
