Friends,
We had a fun and busy week last week and more fun coming up. Just a heads up…there is a lot of good information in this e-mail.
Craft Fair and Bake Sale was a great event
It takes a lot of effort and engagement to make an event a great success. A huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone who helped plan for the event, bake goods, buy goods, etc., etc.
The spirit was high both days as people shared their talents and stories.
We are so fortunate to have so much talent with our MS-Just keep Moving family. Once again, this is another great example of how God is bringing us together in ways and for reasons I certainly didn’t foresee.
Thank You! To all who made this possible 😊
Fun Rebounding at Art Gallery
We had some fun last Thursday as some of us went to NADIANA ART GALLERY to do some rebounding.
You might think that’s a little odd…right? If you’ve done any of our rebounding classes, you probably experienced Fayth Caruso’s HIIT workout at an art gallery in Evanston, IL. Fayth says “if you ever get a chance to rebound in an art gallery, I would highly recommend it”. So…we contacted Dr Obeidat and his wife Nadia who has an art gallery in Greenfield to see if we could experience this. They were kind enough to allow us to do it. 😊
I was really excited when Nadia even joined us for an intro to rebounding with Fayth Caruso video.
On the way out, we just had to have a little more fun and do some rebounding outside. It warmed up a bit by the time we got out there but it was single digit weather earlier that morning 😊
Thanks to Joan, Pam, Terry and Mike B for joining me on this fun outing. Thanks to Fayth for inspiring and motivating us to do it and thanks to Dr O and Nadia for allowing us to do this.
I would highly recommend you visiting the Nadiana Art Gallery and engage in some of Nadia’s classes. She’s awesome!
We had fun…and had a good workout together too 😊
The Ability Center Educational Presentation
Jordan and Emma from The Ability Center came in last Friday to educate us on some of the programs they are offering the Milwaukee Area.
I would highly encourage some of us to engage in their opportunities. They know how to play and have fun despite life’s challenges.
After the presentation, Emma and Jordan had us engage in some seated volleyball. It was awesome seeing everyone have so much fun together with some friendly competition 😊
Thanks Emma and Jordan for the nice presentation, fun and excitement you brought with you! Keep up the great work 😊
Volunteer Appreciation / Christmas Party – Wednesday, December 17th
Each year, we like to show appreciation for our amazing, loving, selfless volunteers who do so much for us and give so much to us. Without our volunteers, we would not be able to do a fraction of what we do. This goes for volunteers with MS as well as volunteers without MS as well as loved ones and caregivers.
There’s a sign-up sheet for food at the gym. Please sign up this week. Thanks so much!
Polar Plunge – January 1, 2026
The Panga Bar was kind enough to allow us to borrow some kayaks for kayaking this past summer. Ricky and some others built a relationship with the people there and as a result, they have chosen MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc. as the beneficiary of their Polar Plunge event this year. Let’s help them make this a great event.
There will be more information coming but here is the information we have as of now:
Panga Bar & Grill Annual Polar Plunge (30th year)
Details:
January 1st, 2026
34422 Delafield Rd, Oconomowoc, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53066
Bar open 10am
Family & kids plunge @ 12:00pm ($10 minimum donation)
Adults jump @ 2:00pm in waves of 20 people at a time ($15 minimum donation)
Pre-registration is encouraged online before the event: link to register will become live soon
Same day in-person registration kids & family 10:30am – 11:30am, general registration 12 – 1:30pm
All proceeds from registration costs, t shirt sales, cash donations, and raffles will benefit MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
T Shirts available for sale $25 each
Heated tent with outdoor bar, plunge into 2 feet of water in the channel between upper and lower Nemahbin Lake (water shoes encouraged)
Last year they had 130 attendees and raised $8,000 for ABCD, a non-profit organization for breast cancer survivors. Let’s get an even bigger turn out this year!
They will need 4-5 volunteers for the event to help direct the waves of people plunging at noon (10am – 3pm)
Promotional flyer will be available soon
Fun Video from 2019: https://www.thenorthwestern.com/embed/video/38842971/
Are you ready to do this? 😊
Shoe Donations
It’s good to see the box is starting to fill up. Thanks to everyone who is donating their shoes!
Do you have any shoes you can donate? Becky Thomas is collecting old or new shoes supporting Soles for Jesus. These shoes will be distributed to people in need of shoes in Africa. She dropped off a box for us to drop them in. Please bring in shoes if you have any extras.
How did Rick do last week?
Rick had another good week last week. He came in and walked 300 feet before doing anything else. If you’ve been following Rick’s journey, just recently, there were quite a few days he came in and couldn’t even lift his legs.
Rick did the rejuvenation therapy (shake and bake) for 20 minutes and then did an entire standing balance class in addition to other things. I didn’t get a full report last week so I don’t have much more to share. Let’s hope he has another good week this week.
Great job Rick! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
I’m really thankful JoAnn Schmitz came in and taught us about the lymphatic system and what she teaches patients when they come to her. It’s been fun putting her knowledge to use and seeing the results. Thanks JoAnn!
Rebounding on the trampoline pumps our lymphatic system in our entire body as well. Our goal is to get the body to heal itself from the inside.
Nutrition Program
This week, Janine and our nutrition program covered the topic of Food Trends.
Here’s a link to the handout:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Wo6LyaQF5wrLtFe2jsGWC7GZP_2mG_7/view?usp=drive_link
Janine puts a lot into these presentations. It’s wonderful for her to share these presentations with those who can’t be here. It’s even more impactful for people who can be here in person to get the information first hand and be able to get questions answered and learn from others living with MS.
I would highly encourage you to engage in our nutrition program Monday mornings @ 9:00am so you can benefit at a high level. All are encouraged to come; people with MS, loved ones, care takers, volunteers, etc.
Thank you, Janine!
Member Spotlight – Randy Sonnenberg
Randy just started coming to the gym this year. He has been very consistent and working hard. When I first saw how atrophied his one leg was, I wondered if that would get stronger. It certainly is. I’m so happy Randy is being able to continue doing the things he loves.
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam and Ed didn’t make a podcast this past week due to the bake / craft sale going on where they usually record it. You can still listen to last week’s.
Here’s the link:
Adam, Ed, and Friends by Positive Vibes Living with MS
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together from 8:00am – noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the gym. Plus, Monday evenings from 4:00pm – 7:00pm and Tuesday afternoons for the aquatics program. I hope you’ll join us!
Where:
Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
Exercise Programs
These classes are aimed to get everyone exercising together. I like that word “together” 😊. We’ll need help from volunteers before and after the cardio class on Wednesdays and Fridays to get members on and off equipment. All are welcome and encouraged to join…friends with MS, volunteers, and caregivers.
Monday Mornings
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 9:00am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
9:00am – Nutrition Program – Friends with MS, caretakers and volunteers are encouraged to engage.
9:00am – Noon – Open gym and Neubie use for independent members, or those who come with a care partner.
10:00am – Seated and/or standing stretching, strength, and balance with Ricky
Monday evenings (open gym from 4:00pm – 7:00pm)
5:00 pm: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
5:30 pm: Standing balance
6:00 pm: Seated balance
Tuesday Mornings
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
TBD – 10:00 – 11:00? – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
Tuesday afternoons
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
Wildwood Lodge has a lift available to get people in wheelchairs in and out of the pool safely
Wednesdays
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 8:30am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
8:30am – 9:00am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
9:30am – 10:00am: Seated Balance
10-10:30am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
10:30am – 11:00am: Seated and/or standing stretching, strength, and balance with Ricky
11:00am – noon: Prayer Group
Thursdays
6:30am – 8:00am: Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
TBD – 10:00 – 11:00? – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
8:30am – 11:00am Outdoor walking – contact Joan, Pam or Dan to find out where we’re walking.
Fridays:
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 8:45am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
8:45am – 9:30am – Spin Class – Starting December 12th, Mike Beiermeister will host a winter spin class starting at 8:45am. The class is 45 minutes in duration and meets in the front room with the spin bikes.
9:30 – 10:00am: High intensity interval training (HIIT) body weight circuit class. Great for those who aren’t attending Friday morning bike rides and want to get their heart pumping! Geared to intermediate to advanced ability level. Class may be indoors or outdoors depending on weather. Find Dr Kate at the start of the class time.
10:00 – 10:30 am: Seated balance class
10:30 – 11am: Standing balance class
Pick the class / classes you feel most able and comfortable participating in. We will have chairs set up to sit on and/or use for balance support.
Email Dr Kate Kern at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.
Friday Morning Bike Rides
We had a great season of bike riding from spring until fall. We are done for the season.
Let’s think spring so we can get back out there again! Until Spring…Let’s Bounce 😊 Check out our rebounding opportunities.
Research Needs us!
Marquette University, UW Milwaukee, University of Illinois, and Carroll University have research opportunities they would like us to engage in. We have flyers and more information about these opportunities at the gym and inserted below. Please engage in these opportunities if you qualify. You could make improvements yourself and you could be helping so many other people with MS as they face their challenges. We really need to get this MS thing figured out and you can help by engaging in these research opportunities.
You get paid $180.00 to do this one and it’s all done online.
Educational Sessions
Friday 1/9/26 11:00 – 12:00pm: Dave DiTorrice, certified orthotist, will speak to us about orthotics devices, evaluations from orthotists, and any questions related to orthotic disease or conditions.
Future topics could include: emotional health, nutrition, yoga, tai chi, wellness topics, safe use of gym equipment for your body, best exercise for you and more. What topics would you like to see? Please let Dr Kate, Joan, Traci, Ricky or Dan know.
Prayer Group We’ll be having our prayer group Wednesday from 11:00am – noon.
I just love the way we share, pray and laugh together while we witness prayers being answered weekly. It’s truly amazing!
Thanks goes to God and to everyone that joins us. Let’s get together to share, listen, talk, give thanks, and pray however God leads us.
MS-Just Keep Caring – Our Caregivers support group will be the first and third Friday of each month from 10:00 – 10:30am. The next one will be Friday, December 19th, 2025. If you’re a caregiver of someone you love with MS, please join us and share your experience of caring for your loved one. This has been very helpful for many. Thanks to all who participate!
Our Facebook page is private. That means you’ll need to join if you want access to all our fun and progress. We’re now at 668 members. That’s awesome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709
Our Facebook page is active and fun. Lots of people are doing more and sharing their journey on Facebook. Feel free to join, post and share your experiences and comments.
There were some awesome pictures, videos and comments shared again this past week. Thank you to all who are sharing!
Metals for MS
Thank you to all who brought in aluminum cans, gutters, copper, brass, etc. Please keep bringing them in…you are helping us. We are up to $1,461.36 so far this year.
Parking
If there are able-bodied people willing to park across the street in the Acuity lot so people with mobility challenges can park in our lot, please do so. We want to make it easy for people with mobility challenges to park and get into our building safely. Thank you for doing that!
Gym Open and Close Procedure
If you’re the first to come or the last to leave the gym, please use this procedure for opening and shutting down.
Open and closedown procedures.docx
Thai Massage with Ricky and Nyani
Ricky will be here on Wednesdays doing Thai Massage.
Nyani will be here on Fridays doing Thai Massage
Our goal is to serve as many people who come to the gym consistently as we can with these Thai Massage services. Going forward we will be doing a rotational schedule to accommodate as many people as we can who need and want a massage.
There are some guidelines written up at the gym. Please respect the guidelines so we can serve as many people as we can. Please sign up according to the guidelines.
Here’s a link to the guidelines: Thai Massage at MS-Just Keep Moving
Reiki on Fridays
Reiki is available at the gym, for FREE on Fridays (Linda C and Mary R), 9:30am until noon. Sessions typically last 20-30 minutes. Sign up for a session on the white board.
Reiki (ray-kee) relaxes the body so that healing can occur! The “magic” of Reiki has helped some of our members with pain, insomnia, constipation, and so much more! Try it the next time you are at the gym!
Inspirational Humor with Adam Wollert
We’ll be having our inspirational humor zoom call with Adam again next Tuesday. Adam is a gift to all of us. Thanks to all who joined us today!
Please join us if you can.
Tuesdays @ 1:30PM
Here’s the link to join us…I hope you do!
Join Zoom Meeting with this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9431389152?pwd=bWlYbFNaazVnM1M1cWxWMitlODdXUT09
Meeting ID: 943 138 9152
Passcode: 3qP2hu
Phone: 1-312-626-6799
Let’s reach out
I encourage you to share a smile and encouragement with someone. Perhaps you could call someone that you have not talked with for a while just to say hi and see how they are doing. We all could use a little extra love and encouragement.
MS is tough. Let’s have faith, remain calm, be flexible, help each other and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day as we make good choices and take action.
Let’s keep moving, smiling, and loving 😊 It helps in many ways!
In God We Trust…we are in good hands.
Dan
Our Website: http://msjustkeepmoving.org/
P.S. By the end of our busy week last week, I need some time in nature. I found some time to get out there. Sometimes, just walking along, the simplest things like a pattern in the snow seems beautiful.
Or a blue jay sitting on a limb
This cardinal was in a good spot
And then…she flew
It’s fun to watch the birds
I happened to catch this dove taking off…kind of cool.
These geese looked like they were having a pleasant conversation
This turkey was hungry
And this one was thankful
The deer are eating whatever they can find now that there is snow on the ground
They are fun to watch too
It’s much easier to see them with the snow on the ground
It’s hard to get a good sunset picture through the trees but it’s fun to try
For those who can’t get out and enjoy nature due your challenges with MS…my heart is with you. You are with me every time I’m out there. I enjoy being out there and I also enjoy sharing with you. I know how hard it is not to be able to get out and enjoy nature. Let’s enjoy nature and God’s beauty together this way.
