8:25 a.m., Nov. 25, 2008----When more than 2,000 participants gather for the PNC Bank Thanksgiving Day Run/Walk for MS in Wilmington, Del., on Thursday, Nov. 27, four of them - all part of a University of Delaware expedition to deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the floor of the Pacific Ocean -- will be walking on water.

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Rebekah Helton, a University of Delaware post-doctoral researcher in enviral ecology and captain of the Walk MS team Twisted Helixes, plans to join the walk from afar aboard the R/V Atlantis with teammates Shawn Polson, also a post-doctoral researcher, Eric Wommack, associate professor with joint appointments in both the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Marine and Earth Studies, and Craig Cary, professor of marine biosciences and leader of the expedition.

The Atlantis will be off the Pacific Coast of Mexico when she and her team are scheduled to walk the Wilmington route on Thanksgiving morning. “When I complained to my boyfriend that I couldn't walk this year,” says Helton, “he came up with the idea that I do it on the ship.”

Helton loved the idea and shared it with her team, which also includes land walkers Shannon Modoa, Tim Mills and Renee Butz.

After some discussion, the entire team decided to participate onThanksgiving morning. Half of the team will walk in downtown Wilmington while the other half will walk aboard the RV Atlantis. “We're hoping to step off at the same time,” said Helton, “but a lot depends on shipboard operations here.

“The path has already been laid out,” added Helton, “thanks to the chief scientist. He's a runner and scoped out a 5K during the ship's last cruise. The chief scientist has also joined the team.”

The Thanksgiving walk is organized by the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and comprises four separate events, including a 10-kilometer run at 9, a 5-kilometer run at 10:30, a 5-kilomter walk at 10:30 and a kiddie fun run at 10.

All events will start at the PNC Bank Center, 222 Delaware Ave., Wilmington. The registration table opens at 8 a.m.

For more information or to register for the event, call (302) 655-5610 or visit the web site [www.MSdelaware.org].

The University expedition will continue through Nov. 30. For details, see the web site [www.expeditions.udel.edu/].