MS Walk, St. Charles was held on May 5, 2019

Thanks to all for coming out and volunteering your time and talent for this worthwhile cause.  This year everything went smoothly and there were no incidents.  The weather was great for the event unlike the practice session a week prior that had 6” of snow.  

MS Walk, St. Charles, 2016 was held on May 7, 2017

MS Walk 2016 -- Group coordinated by Mike, K9FE
Updated 5/1/2016

MS-Walk, St. Charles, 2016

This year’s walk was on May 1st. It was cold, grey, damp, and a bit breezy. We kept tabs on the radar to protect the walkers. In the past we had to initiate a walk shutdown when a very bad cell of clouds carrying rain, high winds, and lightning. The hams started arriving at 7am. Volunteers from the FRRL this year starting at the Start/Finish location were Mike K9FE (Net Control / Start-Finish), Larry K9LLK & Keith N9YA (Langum Park / Rest stop #1), Dave K9WDB & Roger W9YU (Bennett Park /Rest Stop #2), and Harry K9DXA & Dan WA9YKK (Island Park / Rest Stop #3 and turn-a-round). The event ran smooth and there were no issues. The number of registered walkers that showed up was down some 50% due to the weather. Many of the no show walkers had MS and the weather was not what they could be out in so they stayed away. The representative from the MS society was also a no show as she was not feeling well.

The FRRL has been providing volunteer communication personnel for the MSWALK for over 20 years. Each year they try to “do it themselves” but each year it has failed. The ham system has never failed. The coordinators of this walk know this, but corporate dictates they must have a radio system. Works great on the Start / Finish grounds but they cannot reach the various rest stops. They have come to rely on us and we have been given the nickname “angels” because we always appear when we are needed.

Besides thanking the volunteers listed above I extend a big thank you to Bob Roehrig K9EUI for the use of the NIARC repeater system. We just cannot hit the Fox VHF repeater from the river bank reliably since the move from the Eola Road tower to the Elburn site. The NIARC system worked flawlessly even on the HTs and small antennas! Thank you Bob!

Mike K9FE

MSWALK St Charles Communication Coordinator

MS Walk 2015 -- Group coordinated by Mike, K9FE 

Photo by Mike, K9FE 

 Thank you to all that helped out May 3, 2015:  W9STS Dan, K9DXA Harry, NF9D Bill, K9WDB Dave, KD9DED Doug, KB9QFP Geoff, K9FE Mike