MS Read-a-thon FAQs
Get More involved
You can get more involved by talking to your child's teacher about getting involved, posting on your social media channels, or dropping off a MS Read-a-Thon poster at your local library, church or community centre. For a full list of ideas check out our Community Advocate Guide!
Registering
What is MS Read-a-Thon?
MS Read-a-Thon inspires you to read as much as you can, all for an incredible cause. The rules are simple. Read whatever you like, as much you can, from October 14th to November 15th. Children can register with their school (teachers, you can register your class) or individually. Adults are welcome too! Best of all, by joining our quest, not only will you awaken a love of reading, you will also be helping people who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) in your community.
Can I register multiple children under one email address?
Yes! Start the registration process for your children. Start by entering your parent or guardian details first. When you get to the ‘children’ step of registrations, simply hit the ‘add’ button to put in your child’s details. If you’d like to add another child under the same email, select the ‘add another’ button. You can register up to 5 children under the one email address.
If you would like assistance with completing these registrations, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-268-7582 and we can assist you.
I am a teacher and can't register all my students at once, what can I do?
MS Read-a-Thon requires parents to register their children. There are many reasons for this, one of which is privacy. As a teacher you can register your school and create a class team here. Then let the parents (or your students) know by sending them a link to your class or school online page.
If you would like assistance with completing these registrations please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-268-7582 and we can assist you.
I have registered my child in the wrong school or class.
No problem, please get in touch with us at ms_readathon@mscanada.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 and we can move them to the correct class or school for you.
I've already registered my child to take part, can they still join a school or class after I've registered?
Yes! Simply head to your child's dashboard and click the 'Join a school/class' button. If your child's school and/or class has already signed up, you will be able to search for them and connect your child to their school/class.
I’m an adult (big kid!) not registering kids, can I take part?
Yes! Register as an adult.
Fundraising
Is there a fundraising minimum?
There is no fundraising minimum, we encourage you and your family to raise as much as is doable for you. This could be $25 or $250.
The most important thing is that you have fun making a difference for kids who have a parent living with multiple sclerosis. But remember there are loads of awesome fundraising rewards and awards to be won!
I have shared my fundraising page on Facebook but have not received the badge?
So that our system knows you have shared your page on Facebook you must share it via your dashboard. Unfortunately, if you simply post to Facebook, not by clicking on the Facebook icon on your fundraising dashboard, we won’t be able to allocate you a badge unless you contact us.
Simply go to your fundraising dashboard here to share your page.
Do you have any resources available to help teachers?
Yes, absolutely! Please check out the teacher resources section of the website.
Do you have any resources available to help parents and kids?
Yes, absolutely! Please check out the 'Resources' section on your child's dashboard. Or alternatively, you can also download them from the website.
Do my individual donations tally to my school/class?
Yes! As long as you chose to ‘join a school’ or class as part of your registration, your donations will add to your class or school tally.
Can I collect donations via a Facebook fundraiser?
We do not recommend setting up a Facebook Fundraiser or using the Facebook Donate button to collect donations for MS Read-A-Thon. Facebook donations are handled and held by a third party, so we can’t sync these with MS Read-a-Thon event.
Only donations collected through MS Read-a-Thon platforms will show on your fundraising page. We encourage you to share a link to your personal fundraising page instead on social media to ask friends and family to donate.
How do I reset my password?
To re-set your password, click the ‘login’ button on the website and simply hit the ‘forgot password?’ link.
Reading
How many books do I have to read?
There is no minimum (or maximum) number of books you have to read! Read as many books as you can from October 14th to November 15th. Books can include comics, magazines, picture books, textbooks, novels. Anything you read, log as a book!
When do I start reading?
You can start reading and fundraising as soon as you register, but technically, MS Read-a-Thon is an event to read as much as you can from October 14th, 2024 - November 15th, 2024.
How do I personalize my Avatar?
As you hit fundraising milestones you will be sent an email with a link to update and personalize your Avatar! There are three levels of customization for your Avatar in total. Make sure you do this with your kids, as they love selecting the different customizations!
The three fundraising milestones to achieve are:
- Get your first donation – customize your Avatar head
- Raise $50 – customize your Avatar body
- Raise $100 – choose an accessory for your Avatar
What badges can I collect?
We have 10 MS Read-a-Thon badges, and you can read about these as well as our customizable Avatars on the 'rewards' section of our website.
Teachers
How can my students in a virtual classroom participate?
Our new MS Read-a-Thon platform is a perfect pairing for students learning from home. Just like with students learning in class, teachers can make parents aware of the campaign and invite parents to sign up their kids from the comfort of their own home. Since all tools and resources are found online, teachers can have their students (and their parents) easily download resources at home for learning in their virtual classroom.
How is this year’s fundraiser different from previous years?
In previous years the fundraiser was managed solely by the school. Before the fundraiser began, schools would be sent a package with posters, tracking sheets and everything needed to run a successful MS Read-a-Thon campaign and send students home with permission slips to sign up. At the end of the fundraiser the school would collect donations and send the money to the MS Society.
The exciting part of a virtual platform is that both schools and individuals can register to participate. All tools and resources are easily accessible online for teachers, parents and students. Schools can create a team for students to join by classroom, grade, or whatever fun idea you have in mind. Once a student and their parent have registered, the student can easily join their school team.
Our MS Read-a-Thon platform is primarily hosted online, with fun avatars and badges to encourage reading and fundraising. We also have posters, activity sheets and more all at your fingertips to help engage students and get them excited about campaign.
How do schools manage donations?
The best part of this new virtual platform is that all donations are made online, schools do not have to collect or mail in money. Teachers can easily track how much money their school team has raised at any time throughout the month through their team’s on-line portal.
Connect with Us