Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Multiple Sclerosis

I need some help. I know post-Christmas is as bad a time as possible, but I need to solicit some charity for multiple sclerosis. On April 22-23, I’ll be participating in the Houston-Austin MS 150: a two-day, 180-mile bike ride between the two cities with the real focus raising money for MS.
About MS: it’s not directly inherited or infectious; it is a chronic degeneration of the nerves causing disruption of the nervous system. The symptoms widely vary, depending on what areas of the nervous system are affected. For my aunt, she often needs a long time each morning to “get the ball rolling” and once she’s up and about she needs to keep moving and talking or risks freezing back up again. She and my uncle have a hard time taking trips or planning days in general because it’s absolutely unpredictable whether or not it will be a “good day.” As you may be aware, there is no cure.
To participate in the MS 150, there is a minimum pledge amount of $400 after the registration cost. This will be the tricky part. I will be personally chipping in no less than $50, but between bike expenses ($1000+) and my impending first home purchase, I’ve got to lean on beautiful people such as yourself for the majority of the fundraising. This isn’t something I’m good at; ever since I was a kid in primary school, my mother absolutely forbade my sister and I to participate and school fundraisers, going so far as to confront principals over the inherent wrongness of sending children door-to-door. I had a fun childhood.
So to arrive at what I’m asking. Please contribute if you can. If you’re like me, you can think of more than a few times in the past two months when you threw too much cash at a fun night out or something at Target that caught your eye. If you could toss in $20, it would help a ton. For those with Paypal, the account is EvanMS150@gmail.com. You can alternatively contribute directly through the MS150’s website (below, be sure to include my name!) and not think twice about where the money goes. No more than 17% of the proceeds go to indirect expenses such as administration or fundraising. 83% go to those that need it.
I absolutely hate asking for money, but please consider helping this cause.

http://www.ms150.org/
http://www.nmss.org/

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