Jun 15, 2009
More than 3,000 ride in 30th annual MS 150 this weekend
MINNEAPOLIS — More than 3,000 cyclists participated in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter’s 30th annual Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 Ride this past weekend, June 12 to 14. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter expects cyclists raised approximately $2.6 million to help support programs and services for people living with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and drive research for a cure.
The two-day, 150-mile ride took cyclists from Proctor, Minn., to Nowthen, Minn., with an overnight in Hinckley, Minn. Participants crossed the finish line yesterday, June 14, at the Nowthen Threshing Show Grounds.
The Larkin Hoffman MS 150 is the second of three rides in the Minnesota Chapter’s 2009 Bike MS series. The five-day, 250-mile Star Tribune TRAM Ride (The Ride Across Minnesota) takes place July 26 to 31. Another milestone in 2009, The Ride Across Minnesota celebrates its 20th annual ride. To learn more, visit www.bikeMSminnesota.org.
History of Bike MS
Since the Minnesota Chapter held the first MS 150 in 1980, the ride has grown nationally, with more than 100 MS 150 and other Bike MS rides held each year across the county. Since the inception of Bike MS, cyclists nationwide have raised more than $600 million to help create a world free of multiple sclerosis.
In 1980, the National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter held the nation’s first MS 150 Ride, which drew 200 cyclists and raised $33,000.After hearing about the success of the Minnesota Chapter’s MS 150, other National MS Society chapters began hosting similar rides around the country.
Today more than 100 MS 150 rides and other Bike MS events are held each year from coast to coast. Since the very first ride — right here in Minnesota — Bike MS events have raised more than $600 million total.