60 msfocusmagazine.org MS Focus Activities By Samantha Molinero Ken Bolotin is the leader of the Tucson Metro MS Support Group in Tucson, Ariz. Lauren Burgoyne is the founderofThe Greater Purpose Project, a powerful documentary film that turned into a charity organization which aims to highlight the everyday heroes living among us. They came together after the passing of a close friend and organized a 5K race in his honor. Q: What inspired you to hold an event? A: Our dear friend, Patrick Taylor, who was a firefighter, father, husband, and multiple sclerosiswarrior,diedinJanuary of 2015. Patrick was a real-life superherowho transformed his diagnosis into a greaterpurpose – helping and inspiring others. Because Pat was extremely active in the MS community, we wanted to honor his legacy with a tribute that benefited MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, as well as The Greater Purpose Project, which he inspired. Q: Why did you choose this type of event? A: We wanted our event to reflect Patrick’s personality. His recipe forwell-being included working out, helping others, and whatever secret ingredients he would toss into his homemade chili. After Pat was diagnosed with MS, he began training in his wheelchair for the Paralympics. He would ride 15 miles to the gym and would stop at charity drives and donate whatever item he could carry on his lap. No matter what hardships he faced, Patrick always maintained a positive attitude. We decided a wheel, walk, fun-run 5K, with a firefighter chili cook-off at the finish line, was the perfect way to honor our hero! Q: What elements of the event were the most challenging? A: The majority of our participants signed up only one to three weeks prior to our event, which made it a challenge to predict how many people would actually attend.Therefore, estimating T-shirt orders, bibs, and other merchandise was difficult to gauge ahead of time. Q: What did you learn from the process of creating this event? A: We found it extremely beneficial to host the 5K in conjunction with the Tucson Firefighter Chili Cook-Off. Most importantly, though, we learned that spreading awareness is just as important as spreading event info. During the months leading up the 5K, we promoted the event by giving presentations at MS groups, gyms, fire stations, and other walk-or-run events. We were able to spread awareness about our event, but we were also able to educate our community members about MS, MS Focus, the Greater Purpose Giving Back