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🎉 THANK YOU for changing lives – $6.75 million raised for vital MS research! ✨

Despite the hardships and challenges this year brought for all of us, you – our Kiss Goodbye to MS family, showed incredible resilience, determination and commitment to increasing the funds raised, and accelerating research into the prevention, better treatments and a cure for MS.

We always like to dream big, but you like to dream bigger and never give up – and we love you for it! 😍

Together you’ve raised a record-breaking $6.75 million for life-changing MS research – a huge achievement which will have a lasting and life-changing impact on the lives of people living with MS.

We can’t thank you enough for continuously reminding us that nothing is impossible when we stick together and work towards the same goal – freedom from MS. You truly are a special bunch!

Thanks to you, Kiss Goodbye to MS is celebrating its biggest year yet, with more funds raised for MS research than ever before in our 16-year history! 🤯 Thanks to you, the future of the 25,600 Australians living with MS is in good hands, as every dollar you raised is improving the lives of people living with MS for the better.

💭 Let’s take a virtual walk down memory lane as we reflect on your MS research achievements in 2020…

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You tripled the funds raised in The May 50K 2019! 👏

When thinking about The May 50K 2020, we’re still pinching ourselves. This year, over 26,500 Australians left their limits behind and challenged themselves to run or walk 50km throughout the month of May whilst raising funds for life-changing MS research. That is more people than the 25,600 Australians living with MS as we saw people beyond the MS community get involved – a huge milestone!

When the dust had settled you ran, walked, cycled and arm cranked over 50 laps around the world, and raised a gob smacking $6.63 million to leave MS where it belongs, behind us! Thanks to you, MS Research Australia will be able to continue to fund, accelerate and boost future world-class research into MS.

And it gets better! Your astonishing efforts enabled MS Research Australia to grant funded research project extensions for our most vulnerable researchers, whose invaluable work were affected by COVID-19 – a vital funding lifeline securing the completion of important investigations.

You inspired the world – the movement went global! 🌏

Following last year’s success of The May 50K in Australia, you inspired our global colleagues from the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) to pilot The May 50K across the UK, Canada, Ireland and the US. The challenge saw over 13,000 people leave MS behind, raising a collective $1.25 million for vital MS research and access to treatment – an absolute remarkable accomplishment!

Together, in less than two years, you’ve now raised a breathtaking $9.98 million for life-changing MS research across 5 countries in The May 50K, completely sweeping us off our feet!

We can’t wait to watch our Aussie born The May 50K movement continue to grow globally next year, and embrace collaboration to accelerate the speed of MS research internationally, as part of the worldwide efforts to solve MS.

We promise you, this is only the beginning. Watch out MS, The May 50K’ers are coming for you! 💪🏽

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You welcomed Fraser Island as a domestic adventure! 🥾

With international travel on hold for the foreseeable future and having to postpone the Kiss Goodbye to MS Tuscany Trek to 2021, it was time to explore our Aussie backyard – with the launch of a domestic fundraising adventure to Fraser Island in 2021!

You were quick to make your travel dreams a reality by committing to challenge yourself on a 50km walking trek over 5 days across the world’s largest sand island in September 2021. Together, a team of likeminded adventurers will have the chance to discover the diversity of Fraser Island, ranging from rainforests and gorges to beautiful lakes and beaches, whilst raising funds to help power MS research.

Our Kiss Goodbye to MS Tuscany team also continued to soldier on, promoting their challenging 100km trek in Tuscany in 2021 and raising over $21,227 so far!

We’ve got a limited amount left available on both adventures. If you want to make your travel dreams a reality too whilst raising funds for MS research – get in touch with us on kgtms@msra.org.au. 📧

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You are changing lives!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to shine bright and beating the odds by pouring your heart, love and energy into funding life-changing MS research. Thank you for everything you do. We see and appreciate each and every one of you. Your tireless efforts are changing lives!

Whether you participated in The May 50K, bravely shaved your head, set yourself a personal fitness challenge, held a birthday fundraiser, signed up to take on Fraser Island, purchased and rocked our merchandise or followed and tagged us on social media – you are the heroes behind Kiss Goodbye to MS!

2020 will undoubtedly mark an unforgettable year in history. But for us, it’s not because of COVID-19. It’s because of the incredible passion and resilience you have shown for life-changing MS research during these unprecedented times. We can feel it, you are determined to leave MS behind for good – and together we will!

Bring on 2021, we can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for MS research!

💖 Tanja & Shannen from the Kiss Goodbye to MS team Xx