Contributed photo
Participating in the Applebee’s fundraiser breakfast in Fuquay to contribute to Orange Crush are, from left, Gregg Leonka (Billie Jo’s husband), Billie Jo Leonka, Krista Jackson, Lori Robinson, Jessie Davis, Robin Atkins and Debbie Corr. The breakfast fundraiser gained the group $250 to add to the toal $2,700 raised to fight Multiple Sclerosis. That same day, Robin’s Nest Gifts and Scrap Magic, which is across the street from Applebee’s, held a yard sale and Atkins contributed part of the proceeds to MS.
She has more at stake than most of the walkers. Six years ago she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “This is a manageable disease,” she said. While it can be manageble, it is a disease that affects more than 400,000 people in the United States. It is a disease of the central nervous system that can cause symptoms ranging from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
Five years ago she decided to be proactive and walk in the MS Walk in Raleigh. Each individual is asked to raise $125.
“I set a goal of $500. I ended up in the top 10 fundraisers and raised more than $7,000,” she said.
The first three years she placed in the top 10 fundraisers for the walk. Last year, as the economy went down, so did her funds. Last year she raised close to $3,000.
To donate to Billie Jo Leonka for the MS Society, go to http://main.nationalsociety.org/goto/billiejoleonka.
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