Introducing Mark Scheerer, Programs Director

I am the Chapter Programs and Services Director; and have been with the chapter since 1993.  When I started with the chapter back in ’93 the first drug to actually treat MS had just been released and there was a lottery to determine who received the drug since there was a limited supply at that time.  That seems like a long time ago!  Over the years there have been so many changes in treating MS and it’s great to work for an organization that has helped spearhead many of the changes.

My experiences with the chapter have been both good as well as challenging.  I’ve been lucky to meet people who I consider my friends – both people with MS and also my co-workers.  Our staff is a dynamic one and I’m convinced one of the best in the country at working together to put an end to multiple sclerosis.  Challenges have come as I’ve seen some of my friends become increasingly affected by MS which makes me work even harder to contribute to the efforts of our chapter.  While I work directly with people living with MS, I also ride in our Bike MS: Tour to Tanglewood.  In this way I can share with other cyclists the ways their efforts are making a difference in the lives of over 2400 people living with MS in our chapter.

We are proud to announce that 107.5 WKZL and Rock 92 WKRR will be our new 2010 media sponsor for 25th Annual Bike MS: Tour to Tanglewood

November 12, (Triad, NC): The Central NC Chapter is proud to announce that 107.5 WKZL and Rock 92 WKRR will be our new 2010 media sponsor for 25^th Annual Bike MS: Tour to Tanglewood. Each station will have a team riding in the event and raising money. Mid-day DJ, Josie Paza, will be the team captain for 1075KZL and Ronie Alexander from the afternoon drive will be the team captain for Rock 92. Both stations will attend the Festival of Bikes kick off at the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood on January 5^th, training rides throughout the summer and ride in the event on September 25^th and 26^th. “We are so grateful and excited that 107.5 KZL and Rock 92 has joined us as our 2010 media sponsor”, says Stephanie Phipps, Marketing and PR Manager for the local chapter. “Together we can make a large impact in our community by raising awareness and valuable dollars towards creating a world free of MS.” The station’s sponsorship is valued at $51,650.

Bike MS is one of the Chapter’s two main charity events in addition to Walk MS. Raising over $1.12 million in 2008, this event is the Chapter’s largest fundraiser. 

Last year 1,700 cyclists participated in the event, both beginners and experienced riders.  The Chapter hopes to increase participation to 2,000 and donations this year to $1.2 million. 

All money raised during this event will be used by the Central North Carolina Chapter of the MS Society to help support families with MS and fund research to create a world free of MS.  For more information on the ride, call (336) 299-4136 or visit the website and register online at http://www.bikemsncc.org

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. 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 more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.

About the Central NC Chapter
The Central North Carolina Chapter provides services and programs to nearly 2,400 people with MS and their families in fifteen North Carolina counties: Alamance, Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. Our mission is to mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. We fund more MS research, provide more services to people with MS, offer more professional education and further more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. We are people who want to do something about MS now. Join the movement at nationalmssociety.org.