Austin will join other Midwest cities this weekend in the march against multiple sclerosis.

Walk MS will be held this Sunday at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, 1304 21st St. NE. The event is just one of many within the The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upper Midwest chapter.

People may pre-register through myMSwalk.org, 800-582-5296 or register in person at 1 p.m. Sunday at the nature center, when the event begins. Participants can register as individuals or teams and tackle a 1-mile or 3-mile course.

Sunday will be the first time the event has been held in Austin, but local volunteer coordinator Lindsey Meyer is spearheading the effort and hopes prizes and incentives will help reach the $20,000 fundraising goal.

Judging by the success of other community initiatives, especially Paint the Town Pink, Meyer suspects Walk MS could be a big deal.

“It’s a good community to have something like this happen in,” she said.

Furthermore, Meyer is surprised how much the disease affects people in the area.

“It’s actually been more prevalent than people might think,” she said.

While Meyer personally knows a few people affected by MS, she has learned about many more. According to the MS Society, the disease affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide.

Participants in the walk may donate whatever amount they choose to support MS research and awareness during Sunday’s events.