Oct 05, 2009
More than 5,000 cyclists circled Manhattan toward a world free of MS at Bike MS NYC Traffic Free
For Immediate Release Contact: Meghan Finn
212-453-3209
mfinn@msnyc.org
New York, NY – More than 5,000 cyclists participated in Bike MS New York City Traffic Free on Sunday, October 4 and have raised more than $2 million to date in support of national multiple sclerosis research and the hundreds of annual programs and services the chapter provides people living with MS in the five boroughs and Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties. Donations are still being accepted and the event is expected to raise a total of $3 million dollars.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Bike MS NYC Traffic Free is one of the largest one -day charity bike events in the country and has become a preeminent cycling event in Manhattan, providing participants the exciting opportunity to circle the city on 30 miles of closed roadways such as the West Side Highway and FDR Drive. Cyclists can also choose to ride through a traffic free tube of the Lincoln Tunnel to continue on to the 66 or 100 mile routes that venture up the Palisades and over the George Washington Bridge on roads open to vehicular traffic. For cyclists, Bike MS NYC Traffic Free is not only about being part of the movement toward a world free of MS by raising critical funds; it is also an opportunity to increase MS awareness and promote a healthy lifestyle.
To donate or for more information, visit www.bikeMSnyc.org.
2009 Bike MS Sponsors
Barclay’s Capital, Pure Protein, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Vitamin Shoppe, New York Stock Exchange/Euronext, Financial Times, New York Post, WABC-TV, RXP 101.9, Jamaica Hospital, Bianchi USA, and El Conquistador/Luxury Resorts.
About the New York City – Southern New York Chapter
The New York City – Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society is committed to helping the nearly 10,000 people affected by multiple sclerosis in the five boroughs and Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Sullivan counties continue moving their lives forward. The chapter raises funds locally to support the Society’s critical research initiatives and to provide hundreds of comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their family and friends. Visit www.MSnyc.org for more information.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National MS Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. In 2008 alone, the Society invested over $50 million to support 444 research projects around the world.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it 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.
###