A Walk MS family
goes national
by Patricia Wadsley
COUR TESY TREVIS GLEASON
Far-;ung friends and relatives can get closer
through Walk MS. Here’s how one family did it.
When Trevis Gleason was growing up in Grand
Rapids, Mich., family get-togethers were huge.
“Everyone from the neighborhood stopped by,”
said Trevis, 45, a chef and writer who blogs
about life with MS at everydayhealth.com/
blog/trevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms.
“The kids played ball or climbed trees in the
backyard. The adults stood around the barbecue
talking and laughing.”
“Our friends were as close to us as our relatives,”
said Trevis’ cousin Molly, who lives in Grand
Rapids. “My dad called them ‘framily’—friends
and family.”
Trevis Gleason and his wife Caryn Almgren-Gleason
Today, that “framily” tradition continues in
Walk MS. Trevis now lives in Seattle, but this
year, when he and his Walk MS team, Team
Gleason, start out from Husky Stadium, more
than a hundred relatives, friends, and friends
of friends will be joining him in their own
Team Gleasons. They are located all over the
U.S. and even in cyberspace as virtual walkers
following the action and donating online. Every
participant gets frequent updates via phone,
Facebook and Twitter. With events organized
and coordinated around the country all year
long, it’s likely someone is talking about a Team
Gleason almost every day.
