With the sun making its first appearance of the weekend Sunday, more than 230 walkers gathered to welcome the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society's walk back to State College.

The MS Walk held Sunday afternoon ended a hiatus that lasted several years. The course, which was about four miles long, began and finished at the Intramural Building and went to the Lion Shrine and back.

Although 100 walkers had been expected, there were 233 pre-registered walkers, Linda Hanson, volunteer coordinator, said. Many students came out to support the cause, many of them knowing people living with MS, a disease that affects the central nervous system.

Haamid Dash (junior-criminal justice), Cassie Swick (junior-kinesiology) and Daniele Dezago (junior-criminal justice) formed a team to support a friend's mom who had MS and was also walking in the day's event.

"The course was pretty easy. It was a straight out-and-back with no hills," Dezago said.

The group members said it took them roughly 20 minutes to finish the course because they ran.

"The weather today turned out to be a nice day," said Dash, who said he would come back to participate in the event again.

Hanson echoed his sentiments.

"There couldn't have been better weather," she said. "I am so happy it turned out this way."

Although the organizers had considered a rain plan, it wasn't needed, as temperatures in the low 60s and sunny skies prevailed.

However, due to the possibility of rain, the 3 p.m. start time was moved to a staggered start, with walkers beginning as early as 2 p.m.

After walking the course, walkers received a bag meal and could participate in the various festivities. For those unable to complete the course, there were two support cars driving the course to bring them back.

Overall, the event turned into a family fun day, complete with face painting and a clown, food and beverages, and lots of smiles.

Anita "Toot" Thies, from Happy Valley Alley, a chapter of the World Clown Organization, was in attendance Sunday to offer fun and entertainment to the walkers as they finished the course.

Members of the women's soccer team also participated in the event.

"It wasn't mandatory, but everyone came out," Penn State soccer team member Jean Rettig said.

She said the team's season ended Saturday, so the walk provided another group activity before the semester ended.

Also, there were several corporate teams there, including those formed by Talbots, Giant and Christopher & Banks.

"We came out today because one of our managers is living with MS, and we wanted to support her," said Tammy Ahles, a Pleasant Gap resident and member of the Talbot team.

She also said that although they were worried about the weather, it turned out to be a good day.

The teams raised money to win prizes for collecting the most amount of money, Hanson said.

For the State College walk site, the MS Society had set a goal of $15,000, which was met, said Natasha Booton, campaign manager for the MS Society.

Overall, the 10 walk sites have raised more than $600,000, but their overall goal was a million dollars. Statewide, more than 5,000 walkers joined in the event, she said.

"I'd love to see this become an annual tradition," said Hanson, who said she would come back to help with the event in the future.

She said people had "opened their arms" to having the MS walk back in the area.

"People in State College and at Penn State University are a generous community, and they love to get involved," she said.

In addition to the 10 walks the MS Society held throughout the state on Sunday, there will be three more on Sunday, May 21, in Mount Carmel, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.