This Is Why I Give
Carolyn Roberts, PhD was inducted into the 2005 class of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's esteemed Volunteer Hall of Fame for her instrumental work in developing and delivering spirituality and emotional health programs for people with MS.
Diagnosed with MS 29 years ago, Carolyn knew that in one's life journey with MS, the road can be filled with potholes and detours. As a licensed marriage family therapist and trained spiritual director, she also understood how exploring and developing one's own spiritual practices could help to navigate the rough spots.
One of the main spiritual practices that she teaches is to set an intention and then work for it. Carolyn demonstrated this concept in her own life when she entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. Carolyn loves to bake and entered the contest for fun, but her main intention was to become part of something that could possibly raise awareness about the National MS Society and the role spirituality can play in living well with MS. Carolyn perfected her recipe for her Blueberry-Banana-Granola French Toast and sent it in. Judges chose her as a finalist from tens of thousands of entries. The 100 finalists' recipes are now posted online at pillsbury.com where visitors may vote for their favorite recipe. The winner will be awarded $10,000. (You can find Carolyn's recipe at www.pillsbury.com.)
She has also won a trip to Orlando in March to participate in the Bake-Off® Contest finals, with a grand prize of $1 million and a set of new kitchen appliances. The 100 finalists will prepare their recipes in 100 GE mini kitchens set up especially for the Bake-Off. Living with MS, Carolyn knew that the heat of 100 ovens in one room might present a challenge for her. She negotiated this obstacle by asking Pillsbury for reasonable accommodations at the finals, specifically that her kitchen be located near the perimeter of the hotel ballroom so that it will be cooler for her to work.
If Carolyn wins, she plans to use the prize money to expand spirituality programming for people with MS. We wish Carolyn much luck, though she is already a winner in our eyes!