Pickett Elementary staff will participate in Walk MS Saturday to honor their principal John Davison.

They chose Walk MS because it is a cause near and dear to Davison’s heart, as his wife Faith was diagnosed with MS in 2012.

Walk MS is a charity walk series that takes place in over 550 locations with more than 330,000 people participating annually. The walk began in 1988 and has raised more than $920 million so far to drive research, provide programming and build a supportive community for those affected by MS. Registration for the St. Joseph walk is at 9 a.m, and the walk will begin at 10 a.m. at Heritage Park.

Davison came to Pickett as principal for the 2015 – 2016 school year, after serving as assistant principal at the Colgan Alternative Resource Center.

“We are blessed to have Mr. Davison as principal,” said second grade teacher Mary Sanders, “He is such a supportive principal and family member at Pickett.”

Sanders, along with Amy Baber, Pickett’s other second grade teacher, organized the event. At a recent staff meeting, Sanders thanked Davison and enumerated many of the positive things he has done for the school, the school families and the community. Then she told him that the staff would be making a donation to the MS society in honor of him and his family.

Sanders and Baber said that Davison does good things every day, such as visiting students’ family in the hospital, helping to push a car off of the Belt Highway when it stalled, and helped a Pickett family find a refrigerator.

“He does good things every day,” said Baber. “Most of which we never hear about. Anyone who steps in and loves our kids and family the way that he stepped in is part of our family.”

 

“It was a surprise,” said Davison, “Most people know how wonderful my staff members are. It’s truly a blessing to be here, and to be able to do the MS Walk, and my wife is just incredible.”

Faith Davison was diagnosed in April 2013. Her father also had MS, so she had already witnessed the disease first-hand. MS occurs when the immune system begins attacking the nervous system, affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Faith has tears in her spinal cord and parts of her neck, where the immune system has attacked her nerves. The medication she takes is an immune suppressant, so if she gets sick, it takes a lot longer for her to get over it. With good medication, she is currently doing okay.

To donate to the Pickett team page CLICK HERE. The Davison family and church community will also be joining them in the walk.