Please Join Me/Sponsor Me! My name is Robert Hayton, and this year I participated in the Silicon Valley chapter's 15th Annual 10K Walk on April 9, and the Northern California chapter's MS Bike Tour, the Top Hat Classic on April 30. I will also be participating in the Waves to Wine Bike Tour on September 24-25, 2005.

 

Participating in fundraisers such as the MS 10K Walk and the MS Bike Tours is truly a life-changing experience that can be fun for the entire family! I realize, however, that many are not prepared to participate personally. If you're not able to participate yourself, would you be one of my Sponsors? Donations are tax deductible, and money raised by these events goes towards vital research to find the cause and the cure for this devastating disease!

Why Support the MS Society?

Multiple Sclerosis is an "equal opportunity" disease. There are no known genetic or environmental factors that suggest that any given individual may develop MS. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe enough to cause blindness or paralysis. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. Research on the cause of MS and possible cures are funded mainly through your gifts to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Your tax-deductible donation in support of the MS Walk and the MS Bike Tours funds important research and also support for MS victims and their families in our own local area. The local MS Chapters provide all the infrastructure (routing, rest stops, meals, etc.) for the various fundraising events, thus saving the expense of professional event coordinators. In 2003, 13% of the total budget supported Local Services, 14% went to research, 19% sustained nationwide programs, 20% sponsored fundraising, and only 4% was spent on management and general expenses.

For more information on donating or participating in this year's MS Walk or Bike Tour, please contact me, Robert Hayton at 408-203-8352.

Thank you!