Are You Up for the Challenge?

Wednesday, 17 May 2006

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ohio Buckeye Chapter Press Release

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 20th annual MS 150 “Pedal to the Point” Bike Tour presented by Giant Eagle is just around the corner. Now is the time to start training and preparing yourself and your bike for the challenge. The bike tour is set for August 19 and 20, 2006.

For two decades, thousands of cyclists have made their way from the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky in support of the MS cause. Multiple route options (30, 75, 100 and 150) exist for all riders—at all age, experience and ability levels. The MS 150 “Pedal to the Point” Bike Tour, long considered the leading charity bike tour in Ohio, is fully supported with frequent rest stops, an abundance of food, medical and mechanical support, and dedicated volunteers and staff. Cyclists riding for two days and collecting a minimum of $200 in pledges are rewarded with a ticket to Cedar Point or Soak City upon their arrival in Sandusky.

The goal of the 2006 Bike Tour is to beat the record set in 2005, when 1800 riders raised more than $1 million. Since the tour began 20 years ago, 22,000 cyclists have collected more than $9 million for the MS cause. All the proceeds help to fund MSrelated research efforts and to provide quality-of-life programs and services.

The National MS Society Bike Tour is not a race, but an opportunity for a scenic ride, a good time and a healthy challenge. It also helps 15,000 Ohioans with MS and their loved ones who live with this unpredictable disease.

Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong disease of the central nervous system, often referred to as a prime-of-life disease because it strikes most people between the ages of 20 and 50. It causes unpredictable symptoms ranging from weakness to total paralysis that come and go without any warning or pattern. Symptoms include blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, and blindness. The cause and the cure are unknown.

For more information about riding, forming a team or volunteering at the MS 150 “Pedal to the Point” Bike Tour visit the Chapter’s Web site at www.MSohiobuckeye.org or call Bridget Andrews at 1-800-667-7131.