Media Alert - A&W Canada and the MS Society of Canada Team Up to Beat MS

On August 25^th $1 from every Teen Burger^® sold across Canada will go towards helping those living with MS

TORONTO, Aug. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Did you know Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world? MS is one of the most common neurological diseases among young adults in the country, attacking the central nervous system, and affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility.

A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., a 100 per cent Canadian-owned company, is getting behind this issue in a significant way with its annual campaign, Burgers to Beat MS. On Thursday, August 25^th, $1 from every Teen Burger^® sold goes to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada to help the one in 340 Canadians with MS and their loved ones who are affected by this disease. Now in its 8^th year, the program has raised more than $8 million to support people living with MS as well as MS research in Canada.

 

In addition to buying a Teen Burger^® on August 25^th, supporters can also donate through rounding up their bill at the register, purchasing $2 paper cutouts, and giving through in-store donation mugs – all of which go towards supporting activities that help people touched by MS. A&W will also donate $1 to the MS Society for every share on Facebook (up to $20,000) of the Burgers to Beat MS online video, featuring A&W spokesperson Allen—a familiar face from A&W's TV commercials. This video is available on A&W's Facebook page. As well, supporters can help raise awareness through using #BurgersToBeatMS on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and using our Burgers to Beat MS Snapchat filter.

Canada has the highest rate of MS in the world, with one in 340 individuals living with MS, making it Canada's disease. MS is one of the most common neurological diseases among young adults, attacking the central nervous system, and affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Most commonly diagnosed in individuals aged 15 – 40, early in the disease, people often experience temporary episodes of worsening symptoms accompanied by active inflammation in the brain (called relapses), whereas later on, disease progression is inevitable. Although the cause of this often disabling disease is still not known, researchers are bringing us closer to finding the answer. The MS Society offers programs and services for people with MS and their families, and its affiliated MS Scientific Research Foundation is among the largest funders of MS research in the world.

About A&W
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., home of Canada's best-tasting burger, is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian foodservice industry. A&W is the nation's second largest hamburger restaurant company with 860 locations coast-to-coast. A&W is a leader in the Canadian burger industry, serving beef raised without the use of steroids or hormones, chicken raised without the use of antibiotics, eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet without animal by-products, and pork raised without the use of antibiotics. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family^®, Chubby Chicken^®, and A&W Root Beer^®.

About the MS Society of Canada
The MS Society provides services to people with MS and their families, and funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease. Please visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 to make a donation or to learn more about the latest in MS research and programs in your area. Join the conversation and connect with the MS community online – find @MSSocietyCanada on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

SOURCE A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Image with caption: "Burgers to Beat MS: Help those living with MS on August 25th by visiting an A&W restaurant and buying a Teen Burger®. $1 from every Teen Burger® sold across Canada that day will be donated to the MS Society of Canada. (CNW Group/A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160824_C4263_PHOTO_EN_758454.jpg

For further information: or to book interviews, please contact: Brenda Jones, Hoggan & Associates, bjones@hoggan.com, C: 604.312.1070; Matthew Higginson, MS Society of Canada, matthew.higginson@mssociety.ca, T: 416.922.6600 x3159

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