Three Annapolis residents plan to bike their way through eight states in eight days to raise money and awareness about?Multiple Sclerosis (MS) this October.
For Glenn Drake, of Annapolis, the 550-mile ride is personal. His mother-in-law suffers from the disease.?
He's taking the?MS Great 8?8 State Tour, which was started three years ago by the MS Great 8 Foundation, in her honor along with 20 other people from eight different states.?This year's route runs from Maine to New York City and takes place from Oct. 7 to 14.
Jan Sullivan, also of Annapolis, is riding for more than her love of biking.
"My father is one reason I ride," Sullivan said. "He passed away from complications from?MS?in 1992."
Dave Bethel, a Severn resident and U.S. Naval Academy grad, does the ride every year. He said every person on this ride has been touched in some way by the disease.
He also takes credit for recruiting several members of the team. Drake joked that he's riding because Bethel made him.
MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, according to the National?Multiple Sclerosis Society. Symptoms can be as mild as numbness in the limbs or as severe as paralysis.?
The disease also hits home for MS Great 8 Foundation?co-president Mike Zimits who lives with the disease.
"The ride is to inspire people living with MS like myself to not let the disease stop them from living their passions and dreams," Zimits said. "We don't have a cure, but we can get up every day and 'finish the race.' We can go out and do what we want to do. We can keep it from beating us and owning us."
The other purpose of the ride is to "let people know that MS is alive and kicking, so to speak."
Zimits said people often don't realize that more than one person an hour being diagnosed in the U.S.
The goal this year is to raise at least $200,000 for?various chapters of the National MS Society. The rider's local chapter of the national foundation will receive the donations that he or she raised.
In 2011, a team of 16 riders raised $167,000 and in 2010?the ride's first year?a team of 10 people raised $116,000.
"Every dollar raised goes to them," Zimits said. "There's no 30 percent going to pay somebody's salary."
Zimits has been impressed with the Maryland contingent of his bike riding pack.?Last year the Maryland part of the team raised approximately $44,000 for the ride.
"They're great folks," Zimits said. "They're awesome. Dave [Bethel], he's a larger than life guy, and I love him. The guy's heart is as big as he is ...?Jane is like our hood ornament; she's so tiny. She's also very dedicated view towards MS with the history of MS with her father. I think she's a great rider."
Zimits said the commradery among the riders has been one of the big positives to come out of the annual event.
"Those folks?as different as they all look?are such similar souls," Zimits said. "We laugh together, and we cry together, and we help each other up the hills together and we have a good time."
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If you are interested in donating to the MS Great 8 Foundation, click here to go to their website.
You can also donate to the individual riders:
Jan Sullivan
Glenn Drake
Dave Bethel
Source: http://annapolis.patch.com/articles/annapolitans-bike-eight-states-in-eight-days-for-ms
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