Mecworks

I’m happy to say that I’m preparing again for the Multiple Sclerosis 150 mile ride this year! Last year was a awesome, both in people who supported me through encouragement as well as many who were able to donate to help my fund raising goals.

For those of you who are not aware, each year I participate in the Multiple Sclerosis 150 mile ride in Logan, UT. This ride benefits those with Multiple Sclerosis by funding local as well as national aid programs and research. To learn more about multiple sclerosis, visit the pledge page listed below on the National MS web site.

Time is short! I only have this week to achieve my fund raising goal. I was unsure weather or not I was actually going to be able to make the time commitment this year so I’m a bit of a late starter! Check the link below to see how I am doing with regard to the goal!

If you would like to help me reach my fund raising goal for this year, you can pledge your support this week (before Friday the 23th of June, when I leave to go to Logan). And by the way, your donations are tax deductible.

Just like last year, you can donate securely on-line! Here is the URL to the National Multiple Sclerosis web site where you can pledge. It’s probably the easiest way to donate since you can do it any time of the day - like now :)

Here is a link to my personal National MS Society web page where you can view the progress towards my fund raising goal and donate if you would like.

On the right-had side, there is a link labeled “Make a pledge online”.

The last couple years I have been able to take some pictures of the ride and put them on my web site and I hope to do the same this year. You can see pictures from past rides here:

• http://gallery.mecworks.com/MS150_2005
• http://gallery.mecworks.com/MS150_2004

Thanks to everyone who has helped in the past and those who will help this year. I’ve always had the best comments and support from you!

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often progressive and disabling disease of the central nervous system believed to result from immune-system dysfunction. There are a third of a million Americans with multiple sclerosis. The typical age of diagnosis is 20-50. Every week, 200 Americans are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That’s more than one person every hour. Counting their family members and those who care for them, MS affects more than one million Americans. Multiple sclerosis is devastating because it affects individuals in the prime of their lives, with symptoms that may come and go without warning. MS manifestations, which are highly individual, can include abnormal fatigue, impaired vision, loss of balance and muscle coordination, tremors, stiffness, difficulties with speech or walking and, in severe cases, partial or complete paralysis. Although there is no proven treatment as yet to stop the disease or reverse its progression, research definitely is hopeful. Recently, the FDA has approved new drugs that affect the course of MS. Other experimental drugs are being evaluated for their effects on reducing the frequency and severity of MS symptoms.

>>> It turns out that this year, the tour has turned personal for me. A very good friend of mine who was one of the original recipients of the email I sent out about the ride, wrote back to let me know that they had been diagnosed with MS two years ago. I had no idea. This will be the first MS150 that I’ll do with a real personal connection.

Thanks to all those who have or are are helping me raise money for this event!