Nicholas Fowler displays his bird house for sale. Photo submitted
Nicholas Fowler will be taking part in the Lloydminster Jayman BUILT MS Walk on May 6, at Bud Miller Park and raising extra funds by selling birdhouses.
The 11 - year - old Lloydminster resident has fundraised for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for the past four years selling rainbow loom bands, healing stones, and cooling bands.
“One day while doing my own thing, I saw a bird and decided to build bird houses,” said Nicholas Fowler of his latest campaign product, which comes complete with slogans, 'MS is for the Birds' and 'A Little Birdie Told Me ...End MS.'
“It’s been really fun doing the cutting, sanding, staining, and nailing of the birdhouses,” said Fowler who had received help from his parents and local school students Samantha, Linden, Jake, and Cohen.
Fowler’s mom’s friend, Gayle, copes with MS, which prompted his involvement four years ago. When asked what keeps him motivated to reach this year’s goal of $10,000, Fowler’s response was, “She still has MS!”
“In October of 2016, Nicholas delivered a speech to 250 researchers at the Campus Alberta Neuroscience Symposium in Edmonton. Nick challenged them by saying, ‘I realize that you are working hard, but you need to work harder,’ which earned him a standing ovation which had previously been a foreign concept to him,” said his mother Jackie Fowler.
Nicholas’s speech also earned him an exclusive tour of the MS Centre for Research at the University of Alberta in February.
“The tour gave Nicholas a first-hand look at research projects underway; many of which are funded by the MS Society. Researchers are focussing their efforts on unlocking the mystery of MS and fast-tracking a cure, and Nicholas was able to see his fundraising dollars in action,” said Lloydminster Chapter Manager of the MS Society, Patty Milnthorp.
According to his mom Jackie, Nicholas wants to see a cure by the time he is an adult.
“Nicholas’s latest efforts come at a critical time for the Lloydminster Chapter of the MS Society. On the heels of a difficult year in 2016 during which the Lloydminster Walk saw half of its usual participants and raised less than half of its normal revenue, the MS Society is counting on 2017 being a recovery year for its major annual fundraiser.
While Canada has the highest rate of MS in the entire world, we’re also home to some of the best MS research minds, with many leading experts based in Alberta.
Organizers are calling on the community to answer the call to action, and join Nicholas Fowler and hundreds of other local residents and teams by registering and fundraising for the 2017 Lloydminster Jayman BUILT MS Walk. Funds raised through the Walk support vital programs & services for local families living with the harsh realities of MS, and also fuel world-leading Canadian MS research into improved treatments and a cure,” said Milnthorp.
For more information, you can search ‘MS Society Lloydminster Chapter’ on Facebook, or visit mssociety.ca. To register for the Lloydminster Jayman BUILT MS Walk, you can visit http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=5520&pg=entry. The birdhouses can be purchased by emailing nickfowler@sasktel.net, at the Lloydminster MS office (4419- 52 Ave), or at a table during the Jayman BUILT MS Walk. Birdhouses cost $25 - $30 with deals available for orders on multiple houses.