Jun 20, 2009
Chapter Awards $64,000 to Deserving Scholars
On Saturday, June 20 the New Jersey Metro Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held its annual scholarship award ceremony. This year the chapter awarded scholarships to 62 area students distributing a total of $64,000. The morning was hosted by Board Member Meryl Ravitz who is the driving force behind the program.
The economic impact of MS is substantial. Direct and indirect costs of MS, including lost wages, (even for those with insurance coverage) are estimated at more than $69,000 annually, with a total lifetime cost per family of $3 million. These challenges make funding a college education that much harder. “We know so many families struggling to cope with the financial impact of MS,” says Michael Elkow, president of New Jersey Metro Chapter of the National MS Society. “This is why we are fighting this often hidden effect of multiple sclerosis – because MS shouldn’t stand in the way of an education.”
Ms. Ravitz who grew up with a parent with MS experienced firsthand the all of the struggles associated with the disease. This is why she has made the MS Scholarship Program her passion and works tirelessly each year to see that all those who would like to further their education have the opportunity to do so. The New Jersey Metro Chapter would like to thank our generous donor organization including MS Hope For A Cure and Bayer Pharmaceutical as well as the private individuals who make this program possible. For more information about the New Jersey Metro Chapter’s Scholarship Program please contact Patti Pasquino at 201-967-5599 extension 206 or patti.pasquino@nmss.org.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. 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 more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.