Jul 10, 2009
Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride Raises Over $1.5 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride Raises Over $1.5 Million
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently held the 23rd Annual Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride in Logan. Over 3,000 cyclists, including 80 with MS, rode in the two-day event and raised over $1.5 million, with funds still coming in.
“The impact of this event, and the commitment of our participants, cannot be understated, as it is our largest fundraising effort of the year,” said Annette Royle, Utah State MS Society Chapter President. “Every mile ridden and every dollar raised brings the world closer to a cure for MS and helps provide essential local programs to those living with multiple sclerosis.”
Cyclists pedaled the 175-mile route through beautiful Logan area scenery, with rider safety one of the primary goals. Becky Woolley, Director of Team Fundraising and Sponsorship, said that over 400 volunteers were critical to achieving that goal.
As the title sponsor of Bike MS, Harmons was instrumental in helping to promote and raise money for Bike MS. In addition to bringing a bike team of 170 riders, Harmons held a golf tournament, sold bratwursts, and accepted donations at check stands in all 13 stores during June to support the Society. Harmons and its customers and vendors raised $173,223 with more to come through the Harmons Bike Team fundraising.
Royle said she is thrilled by Harmons’ fund raising effort and the donations made by the many businesses and individuals who participated in the Bike Ride. The Society hopes to raise another $200,000 through bike MS by August 14th in order to reach the chapter’s goal. Donations go to support local National MS Society programs including classes for people newly diagnosed with MS, clinical exercise programs, employment symposia, scholarships for college, legal clinics, financial assistance for home modification, home visits to help navigate community resources, family social events and advocacy for legislative action.
“If you haven’t had an opportunity to donate to the National MS Society Utah State Chapter yet, there’s still time,” said Bob Harmon, Harmons’ Vice President for the Customer. “The easiest way is to log onto www.curemsutah.org and click on the Bike MS DONATE button in the center of the page. Every little bit helps us get closer to our goal.”
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to 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 predicated, 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 contracting the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
MS and Utah
MS is attributed to a combination of environmental and genetic factors, occurring more frequently among people of northern European ancestry, and in higher latitudes north of the equator. Utah is located in a temperate latitude north of the equator with many Utahns being of Northern European heritage, resulting in one of the highest incidence rates of MS in the nation.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Utah State Chapter
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We do this through our home office and 50-state network of chapters by funding more MS research, providing more services to people with MS, offering more professional education and furthering more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. We are people who want to do something about MS, now. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.
Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve quality of life for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Talk to your health care professional and contact the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 to learn about ways to help people with multiple sclerosis and about current research that one day reveal a cure. Information may also be obtained on the chapter Web site at www.curemsutah.org.
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