We postponed the WMSD from 31st May to 2nd June 2017. Just as well. We were over the hottest month of the year and encountered a cloudier and cooler climate.
We assembled at 5.00 pm at Tower No. 6, Magarpatta City and were happy to be greeted by more than 150 plus volunteers from BNY Mellon. We started by distributing our hallmark orange caps to all the participants. Some of them were carrying beautiful hand painted posters illustrating what multiple sclerosis is and what it does to persons who bear this burden. Despite stressing what MS is about, the posters had an upbeat, bright and cheerful side to them because they were done in a semi-cartoon style. A hell of a lot of work must have gone into making the posters but the volunteers DID IT FOR US. Hozannahs to all the enthusiastic volunteers!
As there were a lot of new volunteers this year, Shanice Fernandes of BNY Mellon gave a brief talk about what MS is, how it attacks youngsters when they are raring to go and meet life head on, how medicine has so far been a matter of alleviation and a possible arrest in the progress of the ailment, etc. However, she concluded on a happy note about the giant strides made by medicine towards finding a cure for the disease. Happy to say that the youngsters were listening attentively to the talk.
Next, we formed a huge column of people holding banners, posters and a white flag with MSSI emblazoned on it in orange. Traffic was automatically stopped on both sides and people seemed to be quite interested in the banners we were carrying and the slogan of YES WE CARE that we were belting out. We took a long walk around Aditi Garden aAnd came back to Tower 6, a walk of around 15 minutes. All the participants were then treated to a welcome cool drink of Lemon Lassi which had been procured from ABC Farms through the good offices of Mrs. Mini Grant.
Before dispersing we had a group photo session where all of us threw our orange caps into the air in sheer jubilation. Some photographs of the event are attached to this report.
