Make Your Mark Monthly in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio by Amber Kocian Make Your Mark Day is a monthly volunteering and networking opportunity. It typically takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month at the National MS Society’s offices in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Lunch is provided.
W
hen my uncle was diagnosed with MS several years ago, I realized that I knew next to nothing about the disease. Initially, I called the National MS Society to inquire about teaching yoga classes. In the process, I serendipitously stumbled across Make Your Mark Day. Lee Kilborn, the Volunteer Coordinator in the Society’s Carrollton office, invited me to check it out. I had so much fun that I’ve been volunteering for Make Your Mark Day ever since and currently am the Program Coordinator for Make Your Mark Day in Dallas. Each monthly Make Your Mark Day meeting includes a volunteer project, lunch and a guest speaker. Our guest speakers cover a broad range of topics that may be of interest to people living with MS. One month, we experimented with Laughter Yoga. Another time, we learned to relax with a technique called Guided Imagery. One of our most memorable meetings so far
included a performance by the Dallas School of Music and one of our Make Your Mark Day members who is learning to play bass guitar. We typically have 20 to 30 participants from all walks of life each month. Everyone is welcome: the young and the young-at-heart. You can meet new people, learn new skills and make a handson difference in the lives of everyone affected by multiple sclerosis. By volunteering with the Society, I’ve learned not only the textbook definition of the disease, but I’ve also learned first-hand how MS affects real people’s daily lives. For more information and to verify times, dates and locations for Make Your Mark Day, call the National MS Society at 1-800-344-4867 (press 2).
Amber Kocian is a yoga, Pilates and water aerobics instructor in the Dallas area, and an active volunteer with the National MS Society in North Texas.
Moving Toward A World Free of MS
25