“Over $55,000 has been raised, and donations are still rolling in,” Emily Hazlett of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society said of the second annual BEAT MS Dance Walk at Palisades High School on Sept. 13.
According to Hazlett, over 500 participants and volunteers took to the track at Pali High on Sept. 13 to dance and walk for the organization.
Photo: Jim Fermo
Hazlett said the funds raised will go to “directly benefit our mission to provide programs and services and to fund research for people living with multiple sclerosis.”
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms can range from numbness, weakness and pain to seizures, cognitive changes and breathing problems.
The event consisted of a celeb-studded red carpet, a stage with performances, raffles, a bouncy house, food trucks and of course plenty of dancing and walking.
Courtney Galiano of FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, the event’s co-chair, was diagnosed with MS in 2012 following SYTYCD’s season seven tour and knows what it’s like to live with the disease.
“I have MS. Dance is a big part of my life, and I want to raise awareness for the younger generation,” Galiano told the Palisadian-Post. “Dance defies everything this disease tries to strip from people.”
Among the throng of celebrities present at the event was Sarah Hyland of ABC’s Modern Family, who has filmed at the Pali High football field many times.
“It’s fun shooting here,” Hyland told the Post. “I did a lot of shooting on the field, and my character went to a lot of the football games.”
Fancy Feet was among the performers and took to the stage after an introduction by Galiano, who also teaches at the studio.
“I adore the Palisades,” Galiano said. “I want to live here.”
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