He has a comfortable life and a successful career and is ever determined to share his good fortune with others.

“Those of us who have good health and good fortune must not forget those who don’t,” is a mantra for the West Coast singer-songwriter.

One of the ways Tim carries out this resolve is as an ambassador for the MS Societies in both Canada and the United States, endeavouring to raise awareness of this crippling condition and aid the tireless pursuit of research funding.

“The Society is thrilled to have a new and talented ally in the fight to end the devastating effects of MS,” Arney Rosenblat, director of marketing for the National Society’s New York City office, said in announcing Tim’s new role last fall.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to work with somebody like Tim, to let people know about MS and about his – and the Society’s – commitment to finding a cure and making sure people (with the condition) are involved with life as much as possible,” says Deanna Groetzinger, vice-president of communications for the MS Society of Canada, based in Toronto.

Although celebrities often lend their names to specific projects, Tim’s role as “ambassador” is unique and “rather special,” Groetzinger says.

Lawson did not choose the cause randomly; he has a personal and emotional connection to these efforts. His childhood friend, John Falls, of London, lost a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis last year. “He never lost his spirit and his motto was to live life to its fullest,” says Tim, who hopes his efforts will help others to do the same.

Multiple Sclerosis is an often disabling disease affecting the central nervous system, brain and spinal cord.

It’s a chronic – not fatal – condition that patients must live with, and its severity and speed of progression vary with the individual.

Groetzinger says the average age of diagnosis is 30 and it can significantly disable patients within a few years. Today it affects about 50,000 Canadians.

Symptoms vary greatly, ranging from extreme fatigue and muscle stiffness to paralysis; they also include problems with vision, speech, short-term memory and balance.

Treatments are available to slow the progression of the disease but, Groetzinger says, they are only partially effective. There are several treatment trials underway and the MS Society has been funding research for more than half a century.

“We have a dual mission,” Groetzinger says. “We fund high quality research, which we hope will lead to a cure, and we offer a helping hand to those who already have MS.”

She says the message that the Society wants to get across is that “even with MS, people can live quite independent and productive lives.”

A largely grass-roots organization, the MS Society has a net revenue of $19.1 million, much of that coming from donations and bequests. In addition to research projects, funds are used for individual and family services, public education, social action and volunteer resources.

Annual fundraising projects include the MS Carnation campaign, a direct marketing campaign, the MS Read-A-Thon, and the Super Cities WALK.

More information about MS and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada may be found on their website at www.mssociety.ca.