MS Connection

Summer 2014 michigan Chapter

MS Connection Newsletter

INSIDE 2 THIS ISSUE

da Vinci Award Winners

6&7

Programs & Services: Save the Date

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Programs & Services: scholarship winners

14

Fundraising: 2014 Event Dates

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mS connection: Summer 2014

on the coVer:

row 1 - leFt to right: 1. Da Vinci awarD attenDeeS, 2. mS leaDerShip claSS KicK-oFF, 3. aShleigh looman at granD rapiDS walK mS row 2 - leFt to right: 1. FranKenmuth walK mS ribbon cutting with JoDi K anD FranKenmuth mayor gary rupprecht, 2. cute puppy at FranKenmuth, 3. team mS cruSaDerS at Detroit walK mS

Mailing Label Changes

Please check the appropriate box below, correct the label then return to National MS Society, MI Chapter ❑ Name change or misspelled ❑ Address change ❑ Remove from mailing list ❑ Received more than one copy ❑ Please send me my MSConnection via e-mail. My e-mail address is: ____________________________

connect with uS online: Michigan Chapter nationalMSsociety.org/mig info@mig.nmss.org Like us: facebook.com/nmssmi facebook.com/ daVinciAwards Follow us: twitter@nmssmi.com Watch us: youtube.com/mignmss

Da Vinci awarD winnerS The 2014 da Vinci Awards® winners were announced at the gala event to benefit the National MS Society, Michigan Chapter on April 10th in Dearborn, Michigan. General Motors and UAW-GM were the presenting sponsors of this annual event that celebrates innovations from across the globe in all fields of assistive and adaptive technology.

In addition to the five da Vinci Award winners, a special Spirit of da Vinci Award was given to Sergeant Rob Brown, an Iraq War veteran and member of the Army World Class Athlete Program, who is training to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games after being severely wounded in a firefight in Iraq and having his right leg amputated below the knee.

A complete list of the 2014 da Vinci Award winners can be found at daVinciAwards.com.

The 2014 da Vinci Awards Winners (Back Row, L to R): Elana Sullivan – President, National MS Society, Michigan Chapter; Mike Witt – The Dow Chemical Company, “Dow Jaipur Foot Initiative”; Dr. Alan Eberhardt – University of Alabama at Birmingham, “ToyRota Powered Mobility” (winner, Student of da Vinci Award); Tim Swenson – Action Manufacturing, “Action Trackchair”; Hyungsoo Kim – Eone Timepieces, “The Bradley Timepiece”; SGT Rob Brown – Michael J. Rokosz Spirit of da Vinci Award winner. (Front Row, L to R): Jeff Lichon – The Dow Chemical Company, “Dow Jaipur Foot Initiative”; JeanYves Prodel – JYP Conseils, “Universal Design small student apartments” (winner, Leo Award – People’s Choice. (Winners not pictured): Lia Limon - ABILITY Magazine, “Print you can hear”; Jason DaSilva – AXS Lab, “AXS Map”.

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nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

National Programs

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Knowledge Is Power is a free, in-home educational series for people newly diagnosed with MS and their families.

This comprehensive program provides up-to-date facts about many aspects of MS. (Available in Spanish.) Learn more at nationalMSsociety.org/Resources-Support/ Library-Education-Programs/Knowledge-is-Power.

Michigan Chapter 21311 Civic Center Drive Southfield, MI 48076 1-800-344-4867

ONLINE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

ONLINE LIVE FULLY, LIVE WELL Managing your health and wellness is an integral part of “living well” with MS. Live Fully, Live Well is a comprehensive wellness program from the National MS Society and Can Do MS, designed for people living with MS and their support partners. Live Fully, Live Well covers topics affecting the whole family living with MS in order to strengthen relationships, increase understanding and promote improved health and quality of life. For more information visit nationalMSsociety. org/Resources-Support/Library-Education-Programs/ Live-Fully,-Live-Well.

ONLINE Support and Self Help Groups Online groups bring people together on a regular basis for mutual support, education and camaraderie.

MSconnection.org groups have different purposes and goals. Groups may focus on support, advocacy, education, or be more social in nature. Some groups also serve specific populations, such as young adults, carepartners, or people who are newly diagnosed. Learn more at msconnection.org/Groups.

Chairman: Michael Brady Chapter President: Elana Sullivan Editor: Sarah Borst Design: Graphinity, Inc. © 2014 National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter Information provided by the Society is based upon professional advice, published experience and expert opinion. Information provided in response to questions does not constitute therapeutic recommendations or prescriptions.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that all questions and information be discussed with a personal physician.

The Society does not endorse products, services or manufacturers.

Such names appear here solely because they are considered valuable information. The Society assumes no liability for the use or contents of any product or service mentioned.

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MS connection: Summer 2014

research

Neuroprotection and MS After the Society’s webcast, Promising MS Research to Repair, Protect and Restore the Nervous System (nationalMSsociety. org/webcasts), we sat down with Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, MS program director at the University of California, Los Angeles, to discuss the work her lab is doing in the area of neuroprotection.

Could you explain how neuroprotective therapies would be different from the therapies we have now?

The therapies we have now were designed based on our understanding of the immune attack that occurs in multiple sclerosis, where immune cells attack the brain and spinal cord. They have been successful in that they reduce relapses by half or more, but they don’t halt permanent disability accumulation.

Neuroprotective therapies would target cells in the brain and spinal cord, namely neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes (important cells in the brain) to build up their resistance to or protection from an immune attack. The neuroprotective therapies may have minimal effect on relapses, but would likely have a great impact on permanent disability accumulation – and they may even cause some reversal or improvement in disability.

We’ve studied several mechanisms involved in

In both genders, sex hormones can directly affect brain cells. neurodegeneration (nerve destruction), as well as cells related to that process. We also have focused a lot on sex hormones. Estrogen (in females) and testosterone (in males) can be very neuroprotective and directly affect brain cells.

We’ve completed several preclinical studies as well as two clinical trials in sex hormones, and we have two additional ongoing trials, with another trial planned.

We’d love to hear more about the research exploring sex hormones in men.

Eventually, there may be a common theme between women and men in the sense that testosterone is naturally converted to estrogen in the brain. Therefore, if you treat women with estrogen and men with testosterone, you could end up in the same place – binding to estrogen receptors in brain cells to cause protective effects.

Specifically related to testosterone in men, we’ve done extensive preclinical work and have seen much improvement in both walking and cognitive outcomes, which included

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nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

neuroprotective mechanisms. In a small pilot clinical trial, we gave testosterone to men with MS and found a 67 percent reduction in the whole brain atrophy rate, as well as an improvement in their cognitive testing. In a paper published this year in Neuroimage Clinical, our collaborator Dr. Allan MackenzieGraham found that the slowing of brain atrophy in this trial was due to both a halting of cerebral cortical gray matter atrophy and also some gray matter gain or restoration during testosterone treatment.

We are now hoping to follow that study with a larger study we just submitted to the National Institutes of Health. With up to 25 sites across the U.S., this would be a much larger study of 110 men with MS and will be placebo controlled. We will be looking for improvements in outcomes that are very important for disability and cognition in men with MS. Testosterone may have several other positive side-effects in men with MS – it’s known to improve muscle mass and muscle strength, improve bone density, decrease fatigue, and improve cognition in older men going through andropause. In addition, this trial will provide valuable information about the safety of testosterone supplementation for men with MS. Are you seeing similar results related to cognition in women with estrogen supplementation?

We have an ongoing trial of estriol, the safest of the estrogens, which is present during pregnancy. We are still enrolling participants in this trial with sites at University of California,

Los Angeles, Colorado, New Mexico and University of Pennsylvania. This study is very similar to the study of testosterone in men – however it will have cognition as the primary outcome.

We also have another study exploring estrogen’s potential effect on relapses in women with MS. Preclinical data has shown that, in addition to being neuroprotective, estriol is also antiinflammatory. On the other hand, testosterone appears to be only modestly anti-inflammatory, but appears to be more dramatically neuroprotective.

What excites you most about this area of research?

We know that pregnancy is good for MS, and that estrogen is high during pregnancy. We also know that men don’t get MS as often, and when they do, it is often later in life when their testosterone has begun to drop. So we’re taking something that we know is clinically significant and relevant to people with MS, and then trying to figure that out. It’s a different approach that starts with people with MS and then asks, “What phenomena are going on here that we don’t understand? Can we figure it out? And can we capitalize on it?” It will involve many molecules and many mechanisms because it’s a dramatic clinical effect that we’re trying to understand. And I think that’s why treatments using this approach will work – they’ll work through many mechanisms rather than one.

Originally published on MSconnection.org/blog.

6 PROGRAMS & Services

Save the Date!

Men’s Night Out will be held on Friday, September 19th in Farmington Hills. Come and listen to Albert S. Aniskiewicz, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Michigan State University and connect with other men with MS around issues and concerns as they relate to you emotionally. Find support and learn ways of addressing these challenges and remain engaged in living. Look for registration information online and a brochure in the mail the beginning of August.

MS Aquatics – Ten Saturday sessions will be held September 6th to November 8th, 9:50am to 10:40am at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center Pool. A lift is available to assist with entry and exit from pool. The sessions provide guided water exercise and swimming for persons with MS. Care partners are welcome to assist in the pool as well. You are welcome to attend any number of sessions, pre-registration is not required. Call Kirsten Ardery, 231-947-6098 for more information.

Relationship Matters – This workshop for couples living with MS will be held Saturday, September 20th in Traverse City. Participants will learn how to work as a team to manage MS and your relationships and how to end patterns that prevent effective communication.

MS connection: Summer 2014

Can Do MS JUMPSTART® Program Registration Opens August 1, 2014, at 11am EST! When: September 27, 2014 Venue: Prince Conference Center at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI A free one-day program for people with MS and their support partners to learn and get a JUMPSTART on their health and wellbeing!

Register at www.mscando.org/JUMPSTART. **Participants and support partners are accepted on a first come, first served basis.

In collaboration with Mercy Health Hauenstein Neurosciences and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter. This program is made possible thanks to the generous support of Genzyme, a Sanofi Company and Mellam Family Foundation.

Family Getaway Weekend April 25th-26th, 2015, Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth We Need You in the Upper Peninsula!!

If you live in the U.P. and are interested in developing and overseeing an online Self-Help Group for the Upper Peninsula, please contact Christy Bomba at 989-249-1184.

Gateway Facilitators Needed Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Holland, Grand Haven, and Lansing areas.

This program provides six sessions that focus on exercise, discussion and activities to promote wellness, self management, and balance in lifestyle.

nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

Health Care Professionals PT’s, OT’s, exercise physiologists, etc. will join a team of facilitators in presenting a six-session wellness program for people with multiple sclerosis. This is a win-win opportunity: You will learn more about multiple sclerosis and people with the disease will benefit from your experience and talents. An online/phone training program will prepare you to discuss exercise options for people with MS and to demonstrate and lead exercise segments. You will also be prepared to present information on nutrition, realistic goal-setting, and a variety of other topics. Once you have been certified as a facilitator, you will receive a stipend for the time you spend planning and facilitating the program. Contact Christy Bomba 989-249-1184 or Christy.Bomba@nmss.org.

Financial Assistance Scholarships The financial assistance program is happy to offer both physical activity scholarships and camp scholarships. We offer physical activity scholarships for classes designed for people with MS or other disabilities. Many current recipients participate in adaptive yoga classes.

If you are interested in trying an adaptive class, this scholarship may be the perfect introduction! Call 800-344-4867, option 1 to speak to an MS Navigator for more information regarding our scholarships or to request an application.

Camp scholarships are also offered throughout the state. If you plan to attend a camp that is geared towards people with MS or other disabilities and there is a financial need, you may be eligible for limited financial assistance.

7 A perfect example is Bay Cliff Health Camp located in Big Bay, Michigan. Bay Cliff hosts Camp Independence, a one week camping program designed for people with MS or other disabilities. A wide variety of activities and special events are available for campers, all conducted under the direction of an attentive and caring staff. Camp Independence will be held August 17th- 23rd. To request an application to attend Bay Cliff’s Camp Independence, please call 906-345-9314. If your application is accepted and you need financial assistance to help cover the cost, please call 800-344-4867, option 1.

Improved Health Care Access in Michigan Healthy Michigan Plan offers health insurance for low income adults. Enrollment is open and does not have a closing date. The Healthy Michigan plan is for individuals ages 19 to 64 who have income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level ($16,000 for a single person or $33,000 for a family of four). It does not apply to seniors or anyone on Medicare.

Participants will have some cost-sharing responsibilities and very low copays. If you make between 100%-133% of the federal poverty level, you will need to pay 2% of your annual income. You can reduce your annual cost-sharing by participating with your health plan in healthy behavior activities, which includes completing an annual health risk assessment and changing unhealthy activities.

Simply text INFOMI to 69866 or call 855-789-5610 for information! Apply online at michigan.gov/mibridges.

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MS connection: Summer 2014

Advocacy

The many forms of support

By R alph Montefusco

When my wife Michele was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in October 2006, we faced a steep learning curve about the disease. Once we realized that the diagnosis wasn’t a death sentence, we established a structure around treating her MS and accommodating her symptoms.

Michele and I have been married for 30 years.

Not being a medical person or an especially warm and fuzzy type, I tried to find a way to provide support. I settled on using my experience as an activist to advocate on behalf of people with MS right here in Vermont as the co-chair of Burlington’s Committee on Accessibility and the chair of the Society’s government relations committee.

I changed my life in other ways, as well. For the past 10 years, I worked as a consultant for a series of projects. Since I am a few years older than Michelle, our long-term plan was for me to retire first, while she continued working for several more years. However, it became apparent that support, just like MS, takes many forms. As time passed, I handled more tasks of our day-to-day life, and we decided that I would retire earlier than we had planned in order to take over our household

Ralph Montefusco and Michele Patenaude and financial responsibilities.

While this admittedly resulted in a hit to our income, it also freed both of us. I am no longer on the road a lot, working late and spending large chunks of time on the phone and computer. Although I have a lot to do right here at home, it doesn’t have to be squeezed in around any clients’ needs.

Meanwhile, Michele doesn’t have to struggle to find the energy and time to devote to the daily, essential tasks of our life. We would both prefer that MS wasn’t with us, but at least for now our quality of life has improved.

The future will certainly hold more changes, but our partnership will remain the most significant means for us to adjust to whatever happens. n Ralph Montefusco and Michele Patenaude live in Burlington, VT. Provided by the Greater New England Chapter.

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nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

Fundraising

2014 MS Motorcycle Run August 23, 2014 is the date for the 17th Annual MS Motorcycle Run held in West Michigan. The run begins and ends at the Bow Tie Tavern and Grill in Sparta, MI.

Golf MS is an opportunity for those who love the game of golf to help create a world free of multiple sclerosis. Anyone can make a tee time and play a round (or two) of golf and raise funds while doing it to help support MS research, programs, and services for people affected by MS. Golf MS runs from May through September and is played on golf courses throughout the state. Our official partner courses will provide two (2) FREE rounds of golf for each Golf MS participant who raises a minimum of $100. Top fundraisers who go beyond the fundraising minimum may be eligible for great prizes.

Golf MS participants also have the choice of golfing at a non-partner course and raising funds. Plan your own company golf outing, dedicate a day at your golf league to raising funds for MS, or plan a day on the links with a few friends at the golf course of your choice.

Wherever you golf you can help to fight MS. For more information and to register for Golf MS, visit golfMSmi.org or call 248-936-0367.

Start out the day with breakfast at 10am then a Blessing of the Bikes is held at 11:30. At noon, all riders leave for a 100 mile motorcycle run through country roads with various stops along the way.

Participants will enjoy a chicken dinner with all the fixin’s after the ride. Also included in the day are raffles, a dunk tank and various other activities. All expenses for the food and run are paid for by the event coordinators.

100% of your donations go directly to the National MS Society.

For more information please contact Kim Erickson at 616-550-1777 or email ericksonweasel@gmail.com.

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MS connection: Summer 2014

Programs & Services

Meet Our 2014 Scholarship Winners Arianna Morgan, Max Sturm, Tracy Scherdt and Blessing Hoolsema are the recipients of the Michigan Chapter’s 2014 scholarship awards. Michigan high school seniors who have multiple sclerosis or a parent with MS are eligible to apply for scholarships. Also, high school graduates (or GED recipients) of any age who have MS or a parent with MS are eligible. Applicants must also plan to attend an accredited post-secondary school for the first time.

After graduating from Warren Woods Tower High School, Arianna Morgan plans to major in Neuroscience at Michigan State University.

Max Sturm will graduate from Williamston High School and is planning to attend Grand Valley State and major in education.

Tracy Scherdt is on her way to the University of Michigan to major in nursing after she graduates from Community High School in Ann Arbor.

Our final winner, Blessing Hoolsema, is Michigan State University bound after graduating from Williamston High School.

At MSU, she plans to pursue a nursing degree.

The annual scholarship program for 2015 opens October 1, 2014. The total number of recipients and the award amounts vary from year to year, but this year’s Michigan recipients received a $1000 award. To learn more about the National MS Society’s Scholarship Program call 800-344-4867 or visit our website at nationalMSsociety.org.

ADVOCACY SUCCESS Thanks to leadership by Representative Andy Schor, Lansing, it is now legal to use a signature stamp on election documents. MS activists supported this legislation during MS State Action Day and in testimony at committee hearings.

Contact your local city or county clerk for the steps involved to register your signature stamp.

nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

Employee SPOTLIGHT Alysse Miller Hello! My name is Alysse Miller and I am the Programs and Services Manager for the National MS Society, Michigan Chapter. I have been at the Chapter since August 2012. I run the financial assistance program as well as assisting with maintaining our service provider database, and more recently program planning. I love my job and the fact that I get to talk with clients all day! Being able to see your work directly impact someone is truly amazing. Working with an amazing team as co-workers is just another perk.

I graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies in 2010.

Prior to coming to the National MS Society, I worked as a service coordinator for HOPE Warming Center, a local homeless shelter. In my spare time I enjoy playing soccer for Green Acres in the Detroit City Futbol League. Feel free to contact me at 248-936-0366 or Alysse.Miller@nmss.org.

Volunteer SPOTLIGHT Fred Moses Fred Moses is an amazing event volunteer.

His role is the chief coordinator of event

11 communications at all three of our two day Bike MS events every year. He travels all over the state to these events – and he does this at his own expense. He brings his own equipment and a large compliment of qualified amateur radio operators. He creates a website with spreadsheets of their duties, their vehicle assignments, and – with his own equipment – turns 10-15 vehicles into the ULTIMATE Support & Guidance vehicles and Medical Support vehicles!

All of the fundraising events that the National MS Society hosts, focus on participant safety. When you think about having hundreds of bicyclists riding along the 100 miles of bike routes, you realize how critical emergency communications are. In fact, the Michigan Chapter is known across the country as being one of the best in terms of safety and support, and Fred and his team have a lot to do with that success.

He interfaces with National Weather alerts and keeps us ahead of all potential threats, moves supplies along the route and makes sure that riders have guidance, mechanical, and medical support. He is, simply put, OUTSTANDING! The Michigan Chapter staff say they don’t know what they would do without him.

Despite all of the many hours of volunteer work and long weekends Fred spends on Bike MS, he always does it with a smile! Thank you for your dedication, Fred!

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MS connection: Summer 2014

research

Impacting MS through exercise

by Brendan Waldoch

As he tells it, Robert Motl, PhD, didn’t set out to study multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Motl, who is currently associate professor at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, began his graduate studies with a focus on high-end exercise physiology, working almost exclusively with elite athletes. But after studying the effects of exercise on the central nervous system, he found a connection between his studies and MS research.

“We applied for a grant from the National MS Society to study the effect of single sessions of exercise on spasticity and spinal reflexes in people living with MS. We were awarded the funds, and we haven’t looked back.” The results of the study were published in Neuroscience Letters 406 (2006) 289-292.

“Only a handful of people were doing research on exercise and MS,” Dr. Motl says.

“And the people who came into our lab to participate thought it was the greatest thing ever. With these two things in mind, it was an easy decision to make MS the focus of my research.”

PhD student Rachel Klaren assists an ENRL study participant.

His commitment led to the establishment of the Exercise Neuroscience Research Laboratory (ENRL) at the university. At any given time, anywhere from a handful to a dozen research projects are taking place at ENRL. Over the past two years, ENRL was awarded four year-long pilot research grants from the Illinois Lottery Research Fund, which uses proceeds from a scratch-off ticket to fund MS research statewide. One such project is a home-based exercise study led by Lara Pilutti, PhD, assistant professor of Kinesiology and Community Health at the university, which looks at how strength, aerobic fitness and cardiovascular function can be affected by exercise training. “Participants come into the lab, they learn the exercises, and we teach them a few strategies to maintain their routine and adapt it to their lifestyles,” explains Dr. Pilutti.

One participant, David Oost of Bloomington, Ill., has been part of at least six published studies at ENRL. “Three years ago, I walked

nationalmssociety.org | 1-800-344-4867

with a cane and now I don’t,” he says. “My ability to walk has improved greatly, my endurance has increased, and my desire to continue working out has been ignited. Even the cognitive tasks that the tests require have become easier, less frustrating, and fun.”

A reciprocal relationship Oost credits a large part of his improvement to the personal attention given to every study participant. He notes that the graduate students work very closely with him throughout the projects. In return, he is glad to help them advance their education, especially considering that it will most likely lead to more MS research.

“It’s a no-brainer,” Oost says. “The tests help you fight against disease progression, you get to help graduate students earn their PhD so they can continue their research, you gain confidence in yourself, and most importantly, you are taking part in finding a solution. That’s a big deal.”

“Where I’m from, there’s a high prevalence of MS,” says post-doctorate researcher Yvonne Learmonth, a native of Scotland with a background in physical therapy. “I know that good rehabilitation and exercise can have positive effects, but I want to expand this knowledge and benefit everyone that I can.”

First-year PhD student Dominique Hopkins, a native of Chicago, chose to focus on specific populations of people living with MS. She began work with the ENRL team as an

13 undergraduate, and continued on as a graduate student.

“For a long time, MS was seen as a disease mainly in Caucasian women, and treatments were largely developed for this demographic,” says Hopkins. “But recent literature has shown that African Americans often experience a more severe disease course. I want to know about the differences in their experience, and how can we tailor interventions to that population.”

The goal — to slow, stop, and reverse the lifealtering effects of MS — remains ongoing, with collaborative efforts and advances in research and treatments now better than ever before, explains Dr. Motl.

“To me, if there’s ever been a good time to be diagnosed with MS, probably right now is the best time,” he says. “I think most of our disease-modifying therapies and the scientific information on the benefits of exercise training and how that can be integrated into managing MS and improving function are being optimized.”

For more information about the benefits of exercise or MS research studies in your area, call the Society at 800-344-4867. n Brendan Waldoch is an Americorp VISTA volunteer for the Society.

Originally published in the Greater Illinois Chapter’s MSConnection newsletter.

14 Fundraising

2014 Remaining Event Dates September 6: Grand Haven September 7: Milford September 14: West Branch September 14: Marquette Register at: walkMSmi.org

July 12-13: Mid Michigan September 13: Fall Breakaway September 27-28: Bavarian Breakaway Register at: bikeMSmi.org

MS connection: Summer 2014

Casual Days “Starting a Jeans Day at my company was an easy thing to do. I approached the Human Resources Department and they thought it was a wonderful idea. Employees pay $5 to wear jeans for the day and all the funds raised go to the MS Society. It is clearly a win-win situation for the MS Society – not only does the program raise funds and awareness for MS, but it also makes it a LOT easier to solicit donations from my coworkers.”

– Bruce Kantor, Bike MS Top Fundraiser

You can support MS research and people with MS through your workplace giving program Participating in a charitable giving campaign sponsored by your employer is an easy way to help us move toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. Programs like United Way, Community Health Charities, the Combined Federal Campaign, and the State Employees Charitable Campaign provide a simple and convenient way to build a world free of MS. Just sign up to make a contribution and designate the National MS Society, Michigan Chapter as the recipient.

Many national and local corporations offer their employees these opportunities, with pledge campaigns beginning in late August through October. Workplace giving programs often list charities by federation, so check under “Community Health Charities� for our listing. For more information about designating your workplace giving for the National MS Society, please contact your workplace campaign coordinator or your human resources department.

21311 Civic Center Dr. Southfield, MI 48076

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Mustang Raffle

WIN A ONE-OF-A-KIND 2015 FORD MUSTANG 50 YEARS CONVERTIBLE! Tickets: $20 each

www.Ford4MS.com

*rendering of prize vehicle

The proceeds will support the National MS Society and our NOW Research Campaign with a goal of $2 million.