Bike MS: Louisiana

Registration and Packet Pick-up for Bike MS: Louisiana

LOUISIANA – The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, Louisiana is pleased to announce that registration is open until September 23 for the 2011 Bike MS Louisiana presented by BP. Early Packet Pick-up for riders will be available September 19-23 and 30. The Bike MS Louisiana will take place October 1 and 2.

Those who register by September 23 will have a fee of $40, with an increase to $50 the day of the event. People can participate in Bike MS individually or as a team. Volunteers are also needed!

Packet Pick-up Schedule:

Baton Rouge – Pedal Play Bike Shop (13726 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge)

• Mon., Sept. 19, 4-7 p.m.

Northshore – Crosby Development, #1 Sanctuary Blvd., Mandeville (in the Sanctuary Office Park, first building on right)

• Tues., Sept. 20, 4-7 p.m.

Metairie – NMSS Office (4613 Fairfield Street)

• Wed., Sept. 21, 4-7 p.m.

• Thurs., Sept. 22, 4-7 p.m.

• Fri., Sept. 23, 12-7 p.m.

Hammond – University Center at Southeastern Join us for a fun kick-off party with live music, food and beer!

• Fri., Sept. 30, 5-8 p.m.

At any of the above listed packet pick-up times you will be able to pick up your rider packet (with rider numbers included), T-shirt, ID bracelet, and luggage tags. Remember – you must have your minimum $250 sponsor money collected to officially check-in. Teams can designate one member to come pick up all member packets as long as each member has reached the fundraising minimum. Riders have until November 2 to qualify for fundraising prizes.

The minimum age to participate in the Bike MS: Louisiana ride is 12 years of age by October 1. Cyclist 12 to 18 years of age must submit a notarized waiver (with parent or guardians signature) before a packet can be picked up.

The advantage of early packet pick-up is that you don’t have to wait to check-in on the morning of Bike MS.  You’ll be ready to fill your water bottles, get on your bike, and roll.

More than 1,100 cyclists are expected to come out and help raise the goal of $650,000. Funds raised will support direct services and programs for more than 4,000 people with MS and their families in Louisiana and for national

MS research to find a cure for this chronic disease of the central nervous system.

WHAT: The 28th Annual Bike MS Louisiana presented by BP to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Louisiana

WHEN: October 1 & 2 – Registration 6:00-8:00 a.m. and begins 8:00 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Day One: Starts in Hammond, La. and goes to McComb, Miss.  Day Two: Starts in McComb, Miss and ends in Hammond, La.

PARTICIPATION/ VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION: Visit www.bikemslouisiana.org, or call 1-800-344-4867

WHY: Proceeds raised will benefit the National MS Society, Louisiana.

About the 28th Annual Bike MS Louisiana Ride The 28th Annual Bike MS Louisiana Ride presented by BP is a statewide cycling event heading from Hammond, La. to McComb, Miss. With many stops along the scenic country roads, we hope that cyclists will have an unforgettable experience.

Cyclists will ride approximately 150 miles over both days. Along the ride, cyclists can find rest stops every 10 to 12 miles and SAG (Support and Gear) vehicles will be available between stops. On the Saturday of the tour, breakfast and registration will begin promptly at 6 a.m. Cyclists will start at 8 a.m. and follow a 75-mile route from Southeastern University in Hammond, La. to Percy Quin State Park in McComb, Miss. Cyclists stay the night in McComb, returning to Hammond the following day. BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR CYCLISTS WHO CHOOSE TO STAY IN A HOTEL IN MCCOMB, AND OVERNIGHT STORAGE IS PROVIDED FOR THEIR BIKES.  TRANSPORTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING BACK TO HAMMOND FOR THOSE ONLY PARTICIPATING ONE DAY.

For more information or to register for the Bike MS Louisiana, visit www.bikemslouisiana.org, or call 1-800-344-4867

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2010 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $159 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $37 million to support 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867).

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with the disease. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, 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 at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and over 2.1 million worldwide.