(TULSA) ? The Oklahoma Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society is pleased to announce that Sam?s Club will be the presenting sponsor of the 2009 Bike MS Oklahoma Ride. Sam?s Club is committed to creating a world free of MS. The Bike MS Oklahoma Ride will take place September 26 and 27.
?This is such a hopeful period of time for people with MS. That?s why I thought it was the year Sam?s Club had to become involved?, explains Brandon Tinsley, Club Manager for Sam?s Club 8263. ?The National MS Society is an important resource for people with MS and their families. We encourage other local companies to come out with us on September 26 and 27.?Paula Cortner, Oklahoma chapter president, considers community leaders like the employees from Sam?s Club model partners. ?The company is dedicated to linking with us to improve the lives of 21,000 Oklahomans affected by MS. This is why we thank them for their leadership in the MS cause.?
Additional confirmed sponsors of this year?s ride are: McGraw Realtors, Cox Communications, Ben E. Keith, American Airlines and TWU Local 514.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association has declared the Bike MS Oklahoma Ride the OFFICIAL Route 66 Bike Ride in Oklahoma. The two-day ride will go along historic Route 66 from Tulsa to Oklahoma City.
More than 1,000 cyclists are expected to come out and help raise the goal of $500,500. Funds raised will support direct services for the more than 21,000 people with MS and their families in Oklahoma and national MS research to find a cure for this chronic disease of the central nervous system.
People can participate in Bike MS individually or as a team. Those who register after May 28, 2009, will have a registration fee of $50 and a minimum fundraising goal of $225. Volunteers are also needed! Proceeds raised will benefit the Oklahoma Chapter of the National MS Society.
The 24th Annual Bike MS Oklahoma Ride is the same MS 150 ride but with a new route this year? this statewide cycling event is heading to Oklahoma City for some fabulous fun along Route 66! With many stops along the way at many of the historic landmarks, we hope that cyclists will get an experience like none they?ve had before.
Cyclists will ride over 100 miles over both days (exact miles still to be determined). Along the ride, cyclists can find rest stops every 10 to 12 miles and SAG (Support and Gear) vehicles will be available between stops. The ride will start in Tulsa on Saturday, September 26 and will end in Oklahoma City on Sunday, September 27 with a finish-line celebration.
For more information or to register for the Bike MS Oklahoma Ride, visit National MS Society or call 1-800-FIGHT MS (1-800-344-4867).
The National MS Society helps each person address the challenges of living with MS through our 50-state network of chapters.
Through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we fund more MS research, provide more services to people with MS, offer more professional education and further more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world.
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 advancement, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, 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 being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.
Updated 06-01-2009
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