MS 150
For the last 3 years, I have ridden in the Multiple Sclerosis 150, and I'm signed up to participate again in '05. In the beginning,
I was talked into doing this ride by a friend. I had such a good time, with the comeradery and the good exercise, I came back for a
second year. That year, they changed the route and added a lot more country riding. This year, they've changed the route again,
and I'm looking forward to seeing the new new twists and turns between endless corn fields.
Links
For more details on the ride or to register to ride, click here.
To pledge your support, simply click here.
My goal this year is $1,500. I assure you that any amount you donate will be appreciated.
Pictures from the 2003 ride
Pictures from the 2004 ride
Pictures from the 2005 ride
Fund Raising
One of the greatest parts of this ride is the low fund raising minimum it has. If any rider fails to raise $300, they can not ride. You might ask, "Why, then is your goal $1500?" I've thought about that a lot, and I have a few reasons. Each year that I've done the ride, there were a number of people that raised thousands of dollars for MS. Many of them had great stories about why they worked so hard to fund raise. I always looked at my fund raising total and assured myself that my low goal was OK because I didn't have a great story. I didn't have a reason to work hard at fund raising. I took the easy way out.
Then last year, my fund raising came remarkably easily. I put almost no effort into it, and before I knew it, I had reached both the fund raising minimum and my personal goal. I decided then that I would increase my goal for 2005.
I've said before that fund raising is the hardest part of a fund raising bike ride. I stand by that statement. This year's MS 150 will be the most challenging ride for me simply because I have set my personal goal so high. I believe that I can ride 150 miles. I believe that I can raise $1500. I believe that some day, we will find a cure for MS.
More info
People with MS overcome challenges everyday. To walk. To have the energy to go to the store. To have the will power not to give up. The National MS Society is not a United Way agency and receives no government funding. It is the only national voluntary MS organization that meets the standards of ALL major agencies that rate the fiscal responsibility of non-profit groups. Donors like you are the key to making the society’s important mission possible.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic; often disabling disease of the central nervous system that generally strikes people between the ages of 20 and 50. Symptoms can range from numbness in the limbs to paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatments are giving hope to those affected by the disease.