WORLD MS DAY 2016 was observed on 14^th May 2016 at SGS MALL, Moledena Road, Camp area.

Saturday’s leisure crowds at the Mall, plus the audience made it a decent gathering and we were happy with the interest generated at a public place. Chairman Mr JP Banerjee welcomed all listeners to the WORLD MS DAY 2016. He talked about MS & MSSI.

Mrs Sunita Lalwani presented a PPT to explain about MS and the challenges faced by MS persons. This year WMSD theme being “INDEPENDENCE”, two of our MS persons Mrs Jyoti Ronghe and Mr. Amit Bhandari had prepared audio visuals about what independence meant to them and this was played to the audience. The AVs were very informative and appreciated by the public.

Later singer Madhura Gogate entertained all with some motivational songs in her melodious voice and the audience too chorused along. Mrs Asha Merchant made many join in for the 1-minute games she organised.

Mr JP Banerjee felicitated MSPs, Caregivers, Volunteers and Donors as a token of appreciation for their involvement in improving the lives of MSPs.

Our Community Partners BNY Mellon group of volunteers cheered the crowd with a dance along with a popular Marathi song and even obliged the crowd with an encore performance.

The event concluded with a Human Chain where Mall visitors too joined hands and chorused “YES! WE CARE!”

HAPPY STREETS, an Initiative of Times of India& Maharashtra Times has of recent times become a much sought after outing on Sunday mornings almost round the year. The PMC and Pune Police ensured discipline and order. The young and energetic and not so young too look for a fun filled few hours and in the process learn about issues from organisations like us who take every opportunity to spread Awareness about MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS and MSSI. This particular Sunday, Happy Streets was also celebrating MAHARASHTRA DAY so our participation was quite a success amidst large gathering. The World MS Day was to follow so as a precursor to the event this was a good exposure.

The Sunday morning of 1^st May 2016 was abuzz with activity, as early as 6.30 AM at PARIHAR CHOWK, AUNDH, PUNE.  Some MSSI staff, friends and well wishers joined 15 volunteers of BNY Mellon who are our NGO Partners to take the MSSI message of “YES! WE CARE” on the HAPPY STREETS. The BNY MELLON volunteers in yellow T-Shirts with their company logo and all of us with MSSI caps and MSSI Placards on us made our group a distinct crowd puller. Many enquired and listened to us and collected English and Hindi Brochures from us to know more about MS and MSSI.

The group cycled the entire length of the HAPPY STREET for half hour and walked back chanting YES, WE CARE. The big draw was the Maharashtra Day Wall where we all signed with the name MSSI. It was a healthy happy morning for all with different groups leading all participants to a Zumba dance, the Djembe Drum Circle, badminton, football and much more…