/R E P R I S E -- A&W Canada and the MS Society of Canada join forces for an 8th year to End MS/

Société canadienne de la sclérose en plaques, Division du Québec

MONTREAL, Aug. 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada invite Quebecers to participate at the 8^th edition of the Burgers To Beat MS campaign on Thursday, August 25^th to be held in all A&W restaurants across Canada. $1 from every Teen Burger® sold across the country on this day will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada to support Canadians fighting MS every day.

"I invite Quebecers to visit any A&W location across Quebec on August 25^th to support the 100,000 Canadians, including about 20,000 Quebecers living with MS, said Louis Adam, Executive Director, MS Society, Quebec Division. Through our seven years of partnership, A&W's dedicated operators, enthusiastic staff, and loyal guests have raised more than $8 million to support world-class MS research that is bringing us closer to a cure, and programs and services that help Canadians with MS live better lives until a cure is found"

In addition to buying a Teen Burger®, 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 Allen — from A&W's TV commercials. This video is available on A&W's Facebook page.

"We need everyone's support to make this year's campaign the best yet, and are asking Canadians to join us on August 25^th to help beat MS by buying a Teen Burger®, making a donation, and encouraging everyone you know to do the same," says Paul Hollands, Chairman and CEO of A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. "I am proud of how this important fundraising initiative is strongly supported by A&W employees and our generous guests so that those suffering from MS may have access to a cure in the near future."

Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, with one in 340 individuals living with MS. It 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), when the myelin around nerve fibers or spinal cord is attacked.

Although the cause of this often disabling disease is still not known, researchers are bringing us closer to finding the answer. In 2016, the MS Society of Canada and its affiliated MS Scientific Research Foundation (MSSRF) celebrated a success with the published results of a Canadian study of a drastic treatment involving the transplantation of blood-forming stem cells that facilitated lasting recovery.

The MS Society is also funding the promising MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for Canadian MS patients (MESCAMS) study. MESCAMS will investigate treatment with a different type of stem cell that has the potential to supress inflammation and promote repair. With A&W as a key funder, this work will provide more definitive answers regarding their use to treat persons living with both relapsing and progressive forms of MS. The study in question will be carried out in hospitals in Ottawa and Winnipeg.

A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian food service industry. A&W is the nation's second largest hamburger restaurant company with 860 locations across the country. From 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®. For more information, please visit aw.ca.

A&W has more than 120 locations in Quebec. Visit awfranchise.ca to know more.

About multiple sclerosis (MS)
Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system comprising the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest of their lives. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease. It also provides services to people with MS and their families. Please visit mssociety.ca for more information.

SOURCE Société canadienne de la sclérose en plaques, Division du Québec

Image with caption: "Louis Adam, Executive Director, MS Society, Quebec Division (right) and Alain, the face of the latest A&W ad campaigns, also known as “Mr. A&W” (left). (CNW Group/Société canadienne de la sclérose en plaques, Division du Québec)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160825_C6960_PHOTO_EN_758980.jpg

or to schedule an interview with spokespersons from the MS Society of Canada, Québec Division or A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., please contact: Mathilde Condrain-Morel, Coordinator, Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations, for A&W, 514-842-2455, ext. 21, [email protected]; Nancy Marando, Communications Coordinator, MS Society, Quebec Division, 514-849-7591, ext. 2245, [email protected]