West Kelowna’s Ben Klick has big aspirations for the third annual Music Fest MS.
“Over the years there have been a number of different businesses or just friends and family that have come together around MS [multiple sclerosis] that I would have never known that they were indirectly or directly affected by it,” said Klick organizer and artist.
“To have all those people come together and want to rally around this is really, really cool.”
The annual fundraiser is a record-breaking event each year, claiming the title of the largest single-day fundraiser put on by a third party in support of the MS Society of Canada.
“The goal this year is $50,000, and if we break that in three years that means we … exceeded over $100,000 over the last three years of money going to the MS Society of Canada.”
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The cause is one close to his heart.
“My dad was diagnosed in 2018,” said Klick.
“My family has always been very very close and for this little grassroots thing to come out of Kelowna is my way of really helping out my family and showing my support.”
Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. An estimated 90,000 Canadians are living with the chronic auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system according to the MS Society.
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To raise more money than ever in one day, Klick has brought on a larger lineup and has added a radio telethon to the event.
“All the donations and proceeds go right back to them [The MS Society of Canada] to fund things like research and their programs that they are putting out right now that are helping the caregivers as well as the ones that are affected by multiple sclerosis,” said Klick.
Music Fest MS will be live-streamed, broadcast and on the radio on May 30 at 1 p.m. and for information about all the ways to tune in visit www.benklick.com/musicfestms
