With numbers down from last year, MS organizers are concerned the chilly air is causing Lloydminster residents to give a cold shoulder to this year's Enerflex MS Walk.

In 2010, the local MS chapter had 504 registered walkers, but Nicky Dufault, executive and development director for the MS Society-Lloydminster chapter, said walk numbers are down this year.

"I think the weather is probably a really big problem," said Dufault. "Who is thinking about walking when it's -40 C?"

In 2009, the Lloydminster chapter broke records with 49 teams raising $174,000, but in 2010, 51 teams raised slightly less.

Dufault said walkers should know they can designate where their research dollars are going.

"They can decide if they want to have all of their fundraising go towards CCSVI," she said. "They can do that, it's just an indication on the sheet. All of my money goes to CCSVI."

Regardless, Dufault said the walk helps keep the local chapter open.

"If we aren't here, there are no services that we can provide at all," she said. "So we need people to come out, support the chapter, come out, support the walk and let us keep going."

This year's walk will be held at Lakeland College on Saturday, April 16, starting at 9 a.m. in Bud Miller Park. Routes include one, five or 10 kilometres, with wheelchair and scooter accessible routes.

Anyone interested can register online at www.mswalks.ca or call Dufault at (780)871-0513.

Between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians have MS, with more than 11,000 of those in Alberta and 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the country. Women are three times more likely to develop MS.

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