Walk MS MC

In this episode, I participate in Walk MS as a walker and also as the MC. Later, I post to Reddit and it goes pretty well, even though I use the wrong word.

Show notes

Welcome to What's the Matter with Me? Season 3, Episode 8: "Walk MS MC."

Coming up in this episode: last weekend I did Walk MS, I had a fundraising goal, and I raised more money than that. It was awesome. There were a lot of people with MS. I was the MC there. I stood on stage with a microphone. I posted on Reddit again, but I used the wrong word. Stay tuned.

My name is John

I'm 40 years old, husband, father of two, small business owner, radio DJ, podcaster, and I have multiple sclerosis. I made this podcast to share what I'm going through.

The What's the Matter With Me? Podcast is an MS podcast and it's also about other things. Past episodes can be downloaded on Apple Podcasts or from WhatsTheMatterWithMe.org, or wherever you get it. I'm not a medical professional. Don't take this for medical advice and, if you need medical advice, ask your healthcare provider.

But first, let's recap and give shout outs

I want to give the shout outs first. Shout outs to Kalim and shout outs to Mary and all the other people, Rusty, all the other people I've come into contact with in the last couple weeks about What's the Matter With Me? You are listening to the What's the Matter With Me? Podcast and it's kind of about multiple sclerosis and other things, right?

Last episode recap

It was kind of a bummer birthday complaining episode, but, I don't know, it must serve some purpose, right? Let's just hope. It was like 6:15 in the morning, I was hanging in the sky chair outside my house, and I just kind of recorded the episode. I was just flowing. So, check it out. It's kind of weird only in that weird way that we could do it here at the What's the Matter With Me? Podcast.

Last weekend I did Walk MS

It was my first time. Walk MS is put on by The National MS Society, which is the largest fundraiser for MS research. The National MS Society Walk MS, they do these in different cities.

So, I had to MC. I was the MC. They contacted KFJC and they were looking for an MC. I was like, "Well, I guess I'll do it. I'm the guy with MS around here." I raised money.

They had me pick a goal

A fundraising goal, and I'm not really that kind of person, right? Or I don't think of myself as that kind of person. I don't even know what that kind of person's supposed to be like, but I just don't picture myself as a big fund raiser. Otherwise, I'd have money, I think.

They asked me to pick a goal. Another thing I'm not really great at, but I was just like, "Okay, dollar sign 1, 2, 3, 4. That's my goal." It was an easy goal. It seemed like a lot of money. The first thing I tried was 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but that's $12,000 and it would have made me like the number two fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Walk MS. I was like, "Maybe that is too much. So, 1, 2, 3, 4." I thought that was obtainable sounding. That wouldn't put me in the top five or whatever.

They had the whole thing, like they had an automatic set up. They said, "Just share it on Facebook," and they kind of had it all made out for you, and so I did that. Then I kind of wrote a couple things and posted a few. I customized the template, I guess. Some of my friends-- I've got to say, I think something like 23 or it must be over 25 people supported me. That's so many people. And then they gave all together, they gave like $1,700. So, they exceeded my kind of somewhat admittedly kind of arbitrary goal, but they exceeded it and that's awesome.

I went to the event and the event in itself was awesome

There's a lot of people with MS there, lots, like hundreds. Maybe 700 people registered. I think that there was also teams. There were many teams of like as many as a dozen or more people walking. They had tshirts and they'd be like, "Team Bryan" or "Team Indra" or whatever,