2-25-2009
Team E-mail #4
Hi FEET 2 BEAT MS
Team Member!
You know what team today has the most members in Maryland? You know what team is already walking this Sunday, March 1 in Fort Lauderdale, FL?
That’s right – your team!
But, there are teams on our heels looking to knock off that FEET 2 BEAT MS 2008 Rookie Team of the Year. Watch those Towson, MD teams – they have history and we took them by surprise last year.
Our first shipment of shirts are on their way to Team Captain Helen Griffis in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Thanks to Helen and her team members – first team out of the gate, walking this Sunday in warm Fort Lauderdale.
We have only 2 months left before we all are walking. Time to get those people on the team that were thinking about it, talking about it, thinking about joining a team, wanting to join a team, etc, etc, etc. Today we have 192 members and have raised over $3,000 but we are below our numbers from last year this time. So, we really need you to help us recruit, help us raise the cash, donate a prize, or contribute in your own way. As a volunteer board member, I know that the Society has taken aggressive actions this year with the state of the economy to ensure every dollar you solicit and you personally contribute is well spent.
Why do we walk, bike, and contribute our time and money for this particular cause? Last year, I told you our story and a few of our members shared their stories. This year we will again try to raise awareness through our team by sharing a story or two.
Our Story - For those that don’t know us personally, Julie was diagnosed in 1996 with Multiple Sclerosis. And for 10 years, you would not have noticed because except for fatigue and vision problems, it was not apparent she had a chronic disease. She took a weekly injection of Avonex (a drug that is taken to slow the progression). About a year after the birth of our second son, Cole, we noticed things were changing – a drop of a glass, then another, then trouble walking, etc, on top of increased fatigue and the vision problems. Her walking had gotten bad enough we started carrying a wheelchair. She started a daily injection of a different medication, was forced to stop work, and started getting IV steroids at the hospital and at home. Nowadays, Julie has started using a walker (or grocery cart) to keep as much muscle as possible in her legs. Unfortunately, there is little hope that things will ever be better than they are right now. But, sometimes you have to laugh, like last Christmas when our motorized shopping cart broke down in the rear of Target and I had to push Julie and the cart to the front of the store. Or, when Julie decided to take charge one day recently and go to another Target with another motorized cart and got stuck under a store shelf and three women (strangers) could not get it unstuck. Or, when she went to Busch Gardens last summer with her parents and her Dad had to push the scooter through France, Germany, and England because they forgot to charge the battery and it died on the other side of the park.
I give my time and energy to this cause because Julie is one of 6,500 just in MD living and dealing with MS. Hopefully one day, a cure will be found so that a spouse like me this week won’t have to stop by a scooter store on the way home from work to shop for some type of better transportation for his 37 year old wife. Or, that person will not have to think of an appropriate quick response when someone sees us in the mall in the wheelchair and says “I wish you a speedy recovery from your accident”. Words can not really express the challenges faced on a daily basis. So, it is war…
Good News to Share since last e-mail …
Lights, Camera, Action - Bay Country Communications taped interviews of Julie (2008 Cambridge Walk Ambassador), Brenda Cephas (2007 Cambridge Walk Ambassador) and Jen Bosch (2009 Cambridge Walk Ambassador) last week to air on the local cable channel in the Cambridge area promoting the walk.
Lights, Camera, Action Take 4? – Last week, I (and a few others) were asked to participate in a 60 second (yes, second) interview at ABC Channel 2 in Baltimore. The interview was part of ABC’s Call to Health and will air during MS Awareness Week next Tuesday, March 4 between 3:00 and 6:30. After 4 tries, we got mine done. They said it was because I went first but you know me, I’ve got a lot to say in 60 seconds. Thank you to News Anchor Megan Pringle for saying Hi to my Mom the next morning and the nice comments.
Team Member Karri Todd – her bike team has 4 bikers and raised $295 already!
MS Advocacy Day in Annapolis, MD – This week, I took off work and participated in MS Advocacy Day. We (about 50) met with our senators and delegates and asked them to support issues that not only help people with MS but other disabilities as well. If you want more information about those issues, contact me. Of course, it helped that one of the delegates I met, Addie Eckart, was in our team photo last year. She has asked to join our team again this year.
MS Awareness Week – Next week is MS Awareness Week. If you have your team shirt from last year or this year, please think about wearing it next week, especially Friday. Team member Bob Murphy and I will be peddling shirts and brochures Saturday to area businesses to “Paint Our Town Orange” next week. It is a great opportunity to wear your shirt again and show your support. If you want your 2009 shirt early, contact me and I’ll try to make arrangements to get a shirt to you for next week.
Hats – Don’t forget - Tammy’s MOPS group came up with the idea to wear hats in addition to our team shirt to identify groups of people within our team at the walk. We have people from many interesting groups and employers on our team, so start thinking about a hat to wear the day of the walk.
Team Prizes – this year we are not doing any event after the walk. So, if you have a prize you can donate to the team as a fundraising incentive, please get in touch with me so I can incorporate that into “the plan”. Ideas – tickets, frequent flier miles, hotel points, certificates, you know…the stuff you want!
Portside Restaurant (Cambridge, MD) – Save the Date – Friday, April 17th – Portside will be donating a portion of dinner sales that night to our team. Do not miss this night – 2 days before the Cambridge walk. If you are walking in Cambridge, I will be giving out the shirts that night. Paint that restaurant orange !!
Many thanks to all of
you for your support.
Keep it Going !
Rich
443-521-2320