rockpile Posted March 22, 2016 Posted March 22, 2016 It is time for my annual request for sponsors for the MS Walk in Rochester NY. ALL contributions are welcomed. Please sponsor me if you can. If you cannot participate, God Bless. This year the walk is Sunday, May 1st. Me and my family and friends will doing the Walk for a Cure - approximately five miles - with multiple sites coordinated across the state by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I first posted on Two Bills Drive looking for sponsors in 2003! TBD has been my biggest group sponsor, helping me raise over $15,500. Diagnosis, research, treatment, and methods to improve quality of life have dramatically improved, BUT there is still no CURE. Donations can be made at the MS Society page OR on Facebook http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/familyrocksagain https://www.facebook.com/groups/349924721875823/ Jack, I will be posting pictures as the event gets closer. Personal stuff: I was DIAGNOSED with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 1994. I know now that I had MS before then, because there were times when things were “not quite right”. I would tire easily, and walk with a slight limp. My vision would be blurry and I sometimes felt like I was seeing double if I did not concentrate on an image. The symptoms would come and go, and were not stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do. But the official date I was tested for and a diagnosis confirmed for MS was June 1994. The nature of a relapsing-remitting disease is that it can “come and go”. I still walk funny but the medications to keep my MS in relapse have improved from syringe self injections, to a daily pill. It has also been a couple years since my last major relapse, that required an MRI scan, IV steroid pulse, and Prednisone. Keep in mind I have the BENIGN form of MS. Others have it much worse, so I do not complain (much ). It is amazing to me that it is 2016. When I looked back I realized that I started internet fund raising for the MS Walk by posting on TSW way back in 2003. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has excellent ratings as far as the percent of donations received, how they are used, and the percentage of “overhead” for salaries and facilities. Here are a few examples: The National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program reports: “The National MS Society meets the highest standards of accountability, ethical practice, organizational effectiveness, and good public stewardship” http://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org/about-nhc/members/national-multiple-sclerosis-society?id=40 BBB Wise Giving Alliance: "onfirms that an evaluation of informational standards provided by National Multiple Sclerosis Society to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance shows that the organization meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability" http://charityreports.bbb.org/public/seal.aspx?ID=597382011 Charity Navigator gives the NMSS a 87.1 out of 100% rating http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4189#.VvGNdeIrKM8
rockpile Posted March 23, 2016 Author Posted March 23, 2016 WHY DO I WALK? Because I can! Why do I do the MS Walk every year? The short answer is because I have MS! You can scroll through the MS Society web pages and read about the disease, the various ways it affects people, how many people have it, and more. BUT for me this is personal! I want a cure for the disease. The treatment of the disease alleviates many of the symptoms, but not all. It is also noted that although MS is not a hereditary disease, it occurs more often among children who have parents with the disease then the general population. That seems like it is genetic or inherited to me, but I am not a scientist. I WANT A CURE FOR MS! Finding a cure and better treatments for people with MS takes money. Plain and simple. My story: I was officially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 1994. I know now that I had MS before then. My legs ached and I had to elevate them at night. Sometimes it hurt so bad I could not sleep. I was losing sensation in my hands and feet. My GP sent me to a neurologist around 1990, only to be told that my problem was I had four kids, worked two jobs, and went to night school to get my A.A.S. in Business. He was wrong and I got my degree with "high honors". By 1994. I would tire easily, and walk with a slight limp. My vision would be blurry or I would see double. Sometimes my brain seemed blurry too. *-) Tasks that had been simple for me to do in my head now sometimes took me a couple of hours just to sort out the facts and make a decision. FORGET about multi-tasking. If I am concentrating on something and get interrupted or side tracked, I get "lost" and have to start all over. I am a procrastinator, and I now suspect part of the reason is that I want to make sure I am doing things correctly, and delay making a commitment.The symptoms were quite acute in the late summer/fall of 1993 but went away as winter approached. I loved to play softball and was still playing in my early forties. I did not want to admit I might have a problem. When I went back out to practice and play in the spring of 1994, the symptoms from the previous fall came back during the first practice. I would put an ice pack or cold can of soda on my right temple to chill out which seemed to help. My vision got so bad when I was heated up from playing, that it was not safe for me to try to field a hard driving ball, so I became a designated hitter. I used to close one eye when at bat so I would only see one ball! I finally went to see my doctor, who immediately sent me to an ophthalmologist who immediately set me to an optic neurologist who ordered multiple tests: an MRI, a spinal tap (lumbar puncture), and took several annoying visual field tests to confirm the diagnosis. I admit I was scared. I knew NOTHING about MS. I could not even spell "sclerosis". The first thing I asked the doctor was "Am I going to die?" Now, we are all going to die someday, but MS is not fatal. Without treatment, it will get worse over time. Every MS exacerbation TAKES AWAY A PIECE OF ME and when over leaves me with a little less functionality than before. I am one of the lucky ones! Twenty-two years after my diagnosis, I am walking the MS Walk again this year. I have a wonderful family and close friends who walk with me, or sponsor me. Others are not so lucky and I walk for them. I am stubborn and do not like to admit I cannot do something, so I do what I can. As many of us with MS say: I HAVE MS, BUT MS DOES NOT HAVE ME! by Tom Benson on Wed, Mar 23, 2016 @ 2:33 PM
boyst Posted April 5, 2016 Posted April 5, 2016 i decided i was a rabbi. it gave me the option. i chose it. it'll make me sound distinguished. jay's link was not as cool.
BarleyNY Posted April 5, 2016 Posted April 5, 2016 Good luck. We're doing the Cleveland MS Walk on the 15th. We've been walking with and sponsoring our friend, Annie. She was the first, but now we know several friends who have been diagnosed with MS. This will be the 10th year (although we've missed several after we moved to Buffalo) walking with her. We're going back for it this year though. Hotel has been booked for weeks. Hope you have a good walk and do well on the fundraising.
rockpile Posted April 12, 2016 Author Posted April 12, 2016 SEVENTEEN DAYS TO GO! I want to thank my TBD family once again for their generosity. As of today you have helped sponsor me for $815.00! We are not done so if you have been procrastinating, you are like me. Although the sponsor donation page has boxes with suggested amounts, on the bottom right you can enter your own amount. Every sponsor helps. Donate what you can, if you choose, or like some others here - sponsor your OWN cause. Good luck with your walk, "BarleyNY" The important thing is to give something back to a cause you believe in! http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/familyrocksagain
Just Jack Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 Although the sponsor donation page has boxes with suggested amounts, on the bottom right you can enter your own amount. I tried entering $0.00 and it rejected it.
rockpile Posted April 21, 2016 Author Posted April 21, 2016 (edited) I tried entering $0.00 and it rejected it. It is the thought that counts. I will bring you an empty cooler of food to the tailgate. Edited April 21, 2016 by rockpile
rockpile Posted April 21, 2016 Author Posted April 21, 2016 (edited) LESS THAN TWO WEEKS to go and we have sponsors totaling $1,050. In 2015 we did $1,650 and our record is $2,150. It is not to late to donate! http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/familyrocksagain Thanks to TBD and others: Fezmid Todd JayRubeo Harriett jboyst22 Neal Cecile Larry Kalene and James Bob and Barbara Libby Rufous Ray Grace dsmack Bilby Jesse Karen Denise If I missed anyone, please contact me (sorry!) Edited April 21, 2016 by rockpile
rockpile Posted April 25, 2016 Author Posted April 25, 2016 SIX DAYS: Sponsor total is now $1,150. YOU ARE FABULOUS! In 2015 we did $1,650 and our record is $2,150. It is not too late to donate! http://main.national...amilyrocksagain Thanks to TBD and others: Fezmid Todd JayRubeo Harriett jboyst22 Neal Cecile Larry Kalene and James Bob and Barbara Libby Rufous Ray Grace dsmack Bilby Jesse Karen Denise Darin Cugalabanza If I missed anyone, please contact me (sorry!)
rockpile Posted April 28, 2016 Author Posted April 28, 2016 THREE Days Left! New Sponsor total is now $1,250. YOU ARE FABULOUS! In 2015 we did $1,650 and our record is $2,150. It is not too late to donate! http://main.national...amilyrocksagain Thanks to TBD and others: Fezmid Todd JayRubeo Harriett jboyst22 Neal Cecile Larry Bob and Barbara Libby Rufous Ray Grace dsmack Bilby Jesse Karen & Fred Denise Darin Cugalabanza Jason Kalene & James jan gg If I missed anyone, please contact me (sorry!)
rockpile Posted May 1, 2016 Author Posted May 1, 2016 In twelve hours, I should be about half way through the 5K MS Walk. New total is $1,310. It is STILL not too late to donate! http://main.national...amilyrocksagain From past walks, I have been able to put together just how much TSW has helped support the MS Society: 2004 - $ 475 2007 - $1,775 2008 - $2,172 2009 - $1,882 2010 - $1,175 2011 - $1,650 2012 - $1,225 2013 - $2,665 2014 - $1,155 2015 - $1,365 Grand Total - $15,529 as last year We are very close to surpassing $17,000 for a new grand total. Thank you!
rockpile Posted May 4, 2016 Author Posted May 4, 2016 (edited) I found 2006 walk total and I added in 2016. Pretty freaking amazing...... So, how much have we gotten sponsors for since I started keeping records? Remember this next time you ask yourself what kind of impact can you have. Individual sponsors contributed from $5 to $300 over the years. It all adds up! Thanks again to all! 2004 - $ 475 2006 - $1.040 2007 - $1,775 2008 - $2,172 2009 - $1,882 2010 - $1,175 2011 - $1,650 2012 - $1,225 2013 - $2,665 2014 - $1,155 2015 - $1,365 2016 - $1,365 - not a typo! same for 2 years! TOTAL: $17,943 Edited May 4, 2016 by rockpile
rockpile Posted June 21, 2016 Author Posted June 21, 2016 Gosh, looks like I was too late to donate. It is never too late! Click on the link: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/familyrocksagain or send donations to: National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter Walk MS Pledge Processing Center 1000 Elmwood Ave., Suite 900 Rochester, NY 14620 By the way final total raised is $1, 495 from people who donated after the walk.
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