Jun 29, 2009
Bike MS cyclists to pedal downstate to create a world free of MS
Carla Koss
Be one of the first 100 cyclists to register for Bike MS and raise $250—and receive a free “In training” T-shirt!
Wilmington, Delaware—On October 3 and 4, 2009, more than 1,600 bicyclists are expected to pedal from Dover to Rehoboth Beach during the 26th annual Bike MS: NRG Energy Indian River Power Plant Bike to the Bay in association with Bank of America. The cyclists’ goal is to raise $1 million to support the programs and services needed by more than 1,500 Delawareans with multiple sclerosis as well as the research needed to find a cure for the debilitating and unpredictable disease.
To help the cyclists with their fundraising efforts, the Delaware Chapter of the National MS Society supplies everything needed to collect donations. As an incentive, the chapter is also giving away free “In Training” T-shirts. Created by graphic designer and fellow Bike to the Bay participant Aaron Augenblick, the T-shirts are available only to the first 100 cyclists who raise the minimum pledge requirement ($250) in confirmed donations.
For more information, call (302) 655-5610. Or visit www.BikeToTheBay.org.
About the Bike to the Bay
A choice of rides—Bike MS actually comprises a choice of five rides on Saturday, October 3. The 17-mile ride begins at the famous Uncle Ted’s rest stop in Milton. The 45-mile ride begins at Lake Forest High School in Felton. And the 75-mile ride begins at the Terry Campus of Delaware Technical & Community College in Dover. The ever-popular 150-mile ride also begins at DelTech, but the cyclists on this ride retrace the route back to Dover on Sunday, October 4.
New this year is the Century Option, a 100-mile ride for long-distance cyclists who want more in their Dover-to-Rehoboth route but want it only on one day.
Support on the road—More than 200 compassionate and highly competent volunteers work tirelessly over the two-day weekend to maintain a safe and enjoyable route for all the bicyclists. These volunteers also set up and man rest stops every 10 to 12 miles along the route. Each rest stop is well stocked with beverages, fruit, and high-energy snacks. Professional bike mechanics and support-and-gear wagons constantly patrol the route for cyclists in need. If necessary, the cyclist and his or her gear are transported to the end of the ride. And overnight accommodations in Rehoboth Beach hotels are also available. In other words, the Delaware Chapter tries to anticipate and meet the cyclists’ every need.
About multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often-disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and more than 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving; the National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted more than $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested more than $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS—NOW.
Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about the options by talking to a health-care professional and then contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or at 800-FIGHT-MS (800-344-4867).
In Delaware, call (302) 655-5610. Or visit www.MSdelaware.org.