More than 1,000 join Altamonte Springs MS Walk, raise $140,000

More than 1,000 people gathered early Saturday at Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs for Walk MS: Orlando 2026, raising about $140,000 for the fight against multiple sclerosis. Organizers and participants started early to beat the heat, filling the park at 274 Cranes Roost Boulevard with walkers, volunteers and supporters before the day warmed up.

The money raised carries weight beyond a single fundraiser. For people living with MS in Central Florida, it helps sustain the National MS Society’s work to connect patients with friends, family, loved ones and support resources, while also advancing the broader effort to end the disease. The walk’s 1-mile and 3-mile routes were fully accessible, and participants who raised at least $100 could pick up a fundraiser T-shirt on site, a small reminder that the event was built to welcome as many people as possible.

The cause has a deeply human health context. The National MS Society says almost 1 million people in the United States have received an MS diagnosis, and the disease is about three times more common among women than men. It is also more common among women of childbearing age than in any other age group, making the walk especially relevant to families and young adults who may be navigating diagnosis, treatment and the uncertainty that comes with a chronic neurological disease.

Channel 9’s Nick Papantonis emceed the walk and spoke with the honoree, who was recognized for building a large social media following that helps connect and support people impacted by MS. That focus on connection reflects why the event matters locally: it is not only a fundraiser, but also a place where people living with the disease can see they are not isolated.

Cranes Roost Park has become a dependable civic stage for that kind of public health work. The City of Altamonte Springs says the park welcomes more than one million visitors each year, and its open layout has made it a regular home for large gatherings. In Seminole County, that makes the park more than a backdrop for recreation. It is where a major health cause can be seen, felt and supported by the broader community, one step at a time.