Mar 11, 2009
Bike MS safe and fun for everyone
Carla Koss
Bicyclists all over the state can consider themselves lucky to find a one-day bike event like Bike MS: Crankin’ for a Cure. With a choice of safe, well-marked routes through rural Delaware, the cycling event is perfect for both a fun family outing and a long-distance practice run for Bike to the Bay. Organized by the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the event takes first-class care of the cyclists by providing professional bike mechanics, support-and-gear vehicles, first aid and emergency support, fully stocked rest areas, and refreshments at the finish line. The ride begins at 8:00 A.M. on Sunday, May 17, at Appoquinimink High School, 1080 Bunker Hill Road in Middletown and turns around at the Blackbird State Forest.
Like all Delaware Chapter events, fundraising is encouraged. Prizes—including gift certificates from Bike Line, Dunbar’s Cyclery, and Wooden Wheels—will be awarded to any cyclist who raises $100 or more. All the proceeds generated by the cyclists at the event will fund MS research and the cost of programs and services that support more than 1,500 Delawareans with MS and their families.
Advance registration is recommended. Event T-shirts will be awarded to participants who register by May 7. For more info, call (302) 655-5610, or visit www.crankin4acure.org.
About multiple sclerosis
Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS. Currently, MS affects more than 400,000 Americans. Most are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50—during life’s most productive years—and more than twice as many women are diagnosed as men.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. Symptoms range from tingling and numbness in the limbs to blindness and paralysis. In other words, MS stops people from moving.
Although the progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS cannot be predicted, advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve the quality of life for many people with MS.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a collective of passionate individuals who are
• moving together to create a world free of MS.
• moving research forward by relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatment, and a cure.
• moving to reach out and respond to individuals, families, and communities living with MS.
• moving politicians and legislation to champion the needs of people with MS through activism, advocacy, and influence.
• moving to raise $1.25 billion by 2010 to help create a world free of MS.
• moving to mobilize the millions of people who want to do something about MS now.
To this end, the National MS Society funds more MS research, provides more services to people with MS, offers more professional education, and furthers more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. Through a 50-state network of chapters—including the Delaware Chapter—the Society addresses the challenges of living with the disease.
To learn more, call (302) 655-5610, or visit www.MSdelaware.org.