MSConnection Winter 2012

UPPER MIDWEST CHAPTER

MOVING TOWARD A WORLD FREE OF MS | WINTER 2012

Chime in on a telephone town hall meeting Is there something you wish the National MS Society understood about living with multiple sclerosis? Do you have ideas for how the Upper Midwest Chapter can be a better resource for people living with MS in your area? What changes would you like to see for people with MS? Here’s a chance to share those ideas and tell your story to make a difference in the lives of people affected by MS. Join Upper Midwest Chapter President Holly Anderson and other chapter staff as they lead tele-town hall meetings this winter. You’ll participate in a conversation with people from across the chapter who are committed to making change.

It’s easy to participate!

Choose a date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. CT (5 p.m. MT) Wednesday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. CT (9 a.m. MT) Tuesday, Feb. 28, noon CT (11 a.m. MT) Wednesday, March 13, 6 p.m. CT (5 p.m. MT) Dial the number: 888-279-3775, password 3706 If you have questions or want to RSVP, contact Jenna at 612-335-7981 or jenna.washnieski@nmss.org.

The Upper Midwest Chapter

has a new Facebook page at facebook.com/UpperMidwestMS and Twitter feed at twitter.com/UpperMidwestMS! Please “follow” or “like” us to get the most up-to-date chapter information.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

News Page 4

Events Page 7

Living Well with MS Page 8

Volunteers Page 11

612-335-7900 / 800-582-5296

Can you help us?

Publication of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

If you’re able to make an in-kind donation to the Upper Midwest Chapter, contact Lindsay at 612-335-7976, 800-582-5296 (option 2) or lindsay.hansen@nmss.org. To see the full in-kind list, visit MSsociety.org and click “Donate.”

Upper Midwest Chapter

Board Chair • Carol M. Houghtby Chapter President • Holly Anderson Newsletter Editor • Anna Kucera

Office and warehouse Emergency care package items for supplies a person with MS n Power pallet jack n Phone cards

Email • editor@MSsociety.org

n MP-3 player

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society does not endorse products, services or manufacturers. Such names appear here solely because they are considered valuable information. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society assumes no liability for the use of contents of any product or service mentioned.

n Electronic readers

n Metro Mobility

n Paper bags

n Gift cards for food

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 all questions and information be discussed with a personal physician.

(Kindle, Nook)

(gift, goodie bags)

n Tissue paper n Jump drives (portable

tickets

and daily living items (Cub, Target, Hy-Vee)

storage device)

n 18-gallon storage

bins

n 1,200 lanyards

and clear nametag holders

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. © 2012 National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upper Midwest Chapter

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Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve quality of life for many people with multiple sclerosis. The National MS Society’s medical advisors recommend that people with MS talk with their health care professionals about using these medications and about effective strategies and treatments to manage symptoms. If you or someone you know has MS, please visit nationalMSsociety.org or call 800-582-5296 to learn more.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

The stories that connect us This past summer, my husband, Matt, and daughter, Adeyla, decided to begin Suzuki piano lessons together. I was thrilled at the idea of them taking on this exciting new challenge as a team. But Holly Anderson there was just one problem: President we didn’t have a piano. So my husband began an intensive search for the perfect piano.

I was more than a little apprehensive when Matt started telling me about a beautiful baby grand piano he had found on Craigslist. You see, the living room of our 1940s home barely has room for a standard upright piano, let alone a baby grand. But Matt knew there was a very simple way to get me on board with this purchase — by sharing the story of this piano.

I love the story behind things. I believe in carrying stories with you. I believe when someone takes the time to tell you their story, they give you a little piece of themselves and you are responsible for letting the story shape you and move you.

The seller of this 1959 Steinway baby grand was a woman named Rachel. She had received the piano from her aunt, a Julliard-trained concert pianist in 1976, when Rachel was just 5 years old. Rachel took it with her wherever she went, from New York to Seattle and eventually to Minneapolis. Rachel was selling it because she and her husband had moved to a smaller house and it just wouldn’t fit. She rarely played anymore and was hoping she could sell it to someone who would.

At this point, I was nearly sold on the idea. But then Matt told me something that sealed the deal. He told me Rachel’s aunt had given up the piano because she could no long play. She had multiple sclerosis. At that moment, I knew we had found our piano.

All this time, we had no idea the story of these women, and this beautiful piano, was shaped by the very disease for which our family is committed to finding a cure. For Rachel’s aunt, MS destroyed the connections between her brain and her body — stopping her fingers from dancing across those keys and making beautiful music. It disconnected her from one of the things she loved most in life, music.

The National MS Society is here to keep people connected, in spite of the disease. So in this new year, let’s all take some time to connect in new ways. Let’s share our stories, listen to one another, volunteer, give, advocate, walk, bike or raise awareness. Because the connections we make — no matter how small — energize this movement.

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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NEWS BRIEFS

What’s on MSConnection Online right now?

When you see this

icon, it means there’s expanded coverage online. Follow the instructions at the end of the article to find the extra information, or just browse the news section of our website.

Visit MSsociety.org and click “MSConnection News” on the left-hand side. From there, sort by topic or date.

MS Awareness Week toolkit MS Awareness Week — March 12 to 18 — is just around the corner! Visit our website in a few weeks to access fun downloads, useful tools, ideas and other resources to raise awareness in your community. You’ll also get a sneak peak at the National MS Society’s brand new awareness campaign, which will officially debut during MS Awareness Week 2012!

Visit MSsociety.org in late February MS impacts us all The Society recently unveiled a viral video illustrating the impact of MS. Help tell the story of MS by watching this video and sharing it with your friends, family, co-workers and more.

To watch the video, visit tinyurl.com/ImpactofMS

Breaking news: Mayo Clinic collaboration finds MS often starts in brain’s outer layers study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Multiple sclerosis may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn’t always an “inside-out” process as previously thought, reported a new collaborative 4

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The traditional understanding is the disease begins in the white matter that forms the bulk of the brain’s inside, and extends to involve the brain’s superficial layers, the cortex. Study findings support an opposite, “outside-in” process: from the cerebrospinal fluid-filled space, which cushions the outside of the brain and the cortex, into the white matter. The new findings will guide researchers as they seek to further understand and treat the disease. The study, funded by the National MS Society’s MS Lesion Project, co-led by Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti, as well as the National

NEWS BRIEFS

“Our study shows the cortex is involved early in MS and may even be the initial target of disease.”

– Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti

Institutes of Health, was published in the Dec. 8, a rare view of MS early in the disease,” said 2011, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Timothy Coetzee, Ph.D., chief research officer at the National MS Society. “Collaborative studies Researchers do not know precisely what causes like this, that deepen our understanding of the MS, but it’s thought to be an autoimmune sequence of nervous system-damaging events, disease in which the body’s immune system should offer new opportunities for stopping attacks and destroys its own myelin. This fatty MS disease progression and improving quality substance surrounds and protects axons — nerve of life for people with MS.” cell projections that carry information — and its damage slows down or blocks messages between The findings support the understanding that the brain and body, leading to MS symptoms.

MS is primarily a disease of inflammation, not neurodegeneration, as some studies “Our study shows the cortex is involved early in have recently suggested. Co-lead authors MS and may even be the initial target of disease,” Drs. Lucchinetti and Ransohoff conclude said Lucchinetti. “Inflammation in the cortex it’s “overwhelmingly likely” that MS is must be considered when investigating the fundamentally an inflammatory disease and not causes and progression of MS.” a neurodegenerative, Alzheimer-like disease.

Study authors said current therapeutic options How they did it may not even address issues associated with the cortex. Understanding how the cortex is The research did not at first focus on the involved, therefore, is critical to creating new “outside-in” question, said Lucchinetti. Instead, therapies for MS. “Measures of cortical damage the team initially wondered what tissue will enhance enormously the power of clinical changes in the cortex of MS patients gave trials to determine if new medications address rise to indicators of cortical damage. For the tissue changes of MS in all regions of the brain,” last several years, researchers knew from MRI said co-lead author Richard Ransohoff, M.D., a studies the cortex was damaged very early Cleveland Clinic neurologist. after onset of MS, and they knew from autopsy studies the cortex was demyelinated along These measures are important because disease with white matter. What researchers were accumulates in the cortex over time, and unable to determine, until completion of the inflammation in the cortex is a sign the disease present study, was whether findings at autopsy has progressed. The research is distinct because (usually after 30-50 years of disease) accurately it studied brain tissues from patients in the reflected the indicators of cortical damage from earliest stages of MS. “What’s unique about the MRI images taken after only a few months of study, and the reason the National MS Society funded this team of researchers, is that it offers continued on page 6 TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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NEWS BRIEFS

continued from page 5 disease. In autopsy MS tissues, cortical lesions show demyelination, but without inflammation, raising the possibility that MS cortex degenerates due to intrinsic tissue defects. Such a process would not be treatable by current MS therapies and could not be explained by present concepts of the causes of MS.

While investigating the cortical changes in the biopsies, researchers were struck by the high frequency of cortical demyelinating lesions.

Furthermore, in the white matter biopsies, which contained miniscule cortical fragments, about 20 percent showed inflammatory demyelination was contained entirely in the cortex.

Drs. Lucchinetti and Ransohoff sought to find if early-MS cortical lesions were, or were not, inflammatory. To do so, they studied whitematter biopsies taken largely from patients with suspected tumors, but eventually proved to have MS. About one-fourth of the biopsies also included tiny fragments of cortex, which formed the focus of study. The primary question was quickly answered: cortical demyelinating lesions of early-MS patients resembled those found at autopsy in every way but one — the early lesions were highly inflammatory. These findings were reassuring because they indicated treatments targeting inflammation in the disease may ameliorate MS effects on both the cortex as well as the white matter.

Researchers also noted inflammation was present in the meninges, the protective membranes that cover the surface of the brain. Meningeal inflammation and cortical demyelination were highly associated. Looking at implications of the data, Drs. Lucchinetti and Ransohoff could weave together a proposed pathway for lesion initiation, along with known experimental data from MS animal models, and term this pathway the “outside-in” theory. The research findings also lend urgency to efforts to use MRI to “see” more deeply into the cortical lesions of MS, particularly given cortical damage is an important correlate of progressive disability and cognitive impairment in MS.

Dr. Gary Beaver returns to Minneapolis Dr. Gary Beaver, longtime supporter of the National MS Society, returned to Minneapolis Oct. 1, 2011, as the new Medical Director of the MS Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and Director of

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the Fairview MS Achievement Center. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit.

To learn more about the MS Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, visit umphysicians.org/Clinics/multiple-sclerosis-center.

events

Every step. Every person. Walk MS 2012.

Every step. Every person. Every second spent and dollar raised. They all add up to an experience unlike any other: Walk MS. This is our time to unite and stand strong. Hosted in 33 cities in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and western Wisconsin, there’s a Walk MS event near you. Minnesota walks will take place May 6, North Dakota walks May 12, and Iowa and South Dakota walks May 19. Mark your calendar!

Walk MS is an opportunity to share a great experience with friends, family or co-workers.

Have more fun and raise more dollars for the MS movement by starting or joining a team.

And keep in mind — every Walk MS location

has at least one accessible route — so anyone can walk on wheels.

Donations raised directly help people affected

by MS through support programs and services and cutting-edge research. The Upper Midwest Chapter serves 17,000 people living with MS, and Walk MS makes a difference to each one.

Visit myMSwalk.org to register today. Once you sign up, “like” the Walk MS Facebook page for Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota or South Dakota to get updates and fundraising ideas, participate in contests, win prizes and much more.

Anywhere Walk This year will mark the third Walk MS: Anywhere Walk — a unique way to help create a world free of the disease. Anywhere Walk is an option for anyone who’s unable to show support in person.

Walk MS is about ending MS for good — no matter where you are. Once you sign up for Anywhere Walk, you can raise both dollars and awareness with our easy-to-use online tools. You can even form a virtual team. Plus, Anywhere Walk participants are eligible for all the same great prizes!

Wherever you are this spring, help us celebrate hope for the future and register for Anywhere Walk. For more information about Anywhere Walk and Walk MS events across the chapter area, visit myMSwalk.org or email specialevents@MSsociety.org.

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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LIVING well WITH MS

Preparing for pregnancy The good news about planning a pregnancy when you have MS is there’s no evidence MS has any effect on fertility; pregnancy usually reduces exacerbations (although flares do tend to increase postpartum); and good outcomes are the norm.

Nevertheless, making the decision to get pregnant can be complicated, primarily because of the physical challenges of MS, said Barbara Green, M.D., director of the West County MS Center in St. Louis, Mo. “I also suggest women think about and discuss with their partners the emotional and financial challenges of raising a child, which could affect work and managing the disease.”

Meds, pregnancy and MS None of the disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) are approved for use during pregnancy, and most should not be taken for a few months beforehand. “The risk time is when you’re attempting to conceive,” noted Dr. Green. Plan a discussion with your neurologist about when to stop DMDs — and when, after delivery, to begin them again.

“Until recently, most studies were neutral about whether breastfeeding was protective in preventing relapses,” said Dr. Green. “But a new study quotes a beneficial effect on relapse.

People with non-aggressive disease may be able to wait to resume DMDs, which can’t be taken while nursing.”

Include any symptom-management medications in the discussion with your doctor. From bladder problems to fatigue, pregnancy can make MS symptoms worse, yet many meds are not safe for pregnant women. “We advise people on 8

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non-pharmaceutical approaches: getting enough sleep, adjusting work schedules and exercising,” said Dr. Green.

“Symptoms during pregnancy are probably not MS — tiredness doesn’t mean your symptoms are coming back,” said Eileen Davis, A.P.N., who has worked with people with MS for 12 years in New Jersey and New York. Keep exercising, she recommended, “so you aren’t carrying unnecessary weight post-pregnancy, which can affect symptoms such as falling.”

Connect the team Connect your obstetrician and neurologist to coordinate your care. Get more information at nationalMSsociety.org/pregnancy for “Pregnancy, Delivery and the Post-Partum Period” to share with health care professionals. If anesthesia is part of your birth plan, arrange a meeting with the anesthesia team. All forms of anesthesia are considered safe for women with MS. Don’t wait to plan for what happens after delivery. Tap family and friends about helping with housework, food and, of course, watching the baby!

LIVING well WITH MS

Resources on MS and pregnancy Check out the Society’s collection of videos, books, booklets and Web pages that you can download, or call us for free print copies. n nationalMSsociety.org/pregnancy n “MS and Starting a Family” — Momentum,

Winter 2010-2011

n nationalMSsociety.org/Momentum

(click “Back Issues”)

n Kara’s Story — Part II

tinyurl.com/KaraStoryPartTwo … all the way through to the birth of her baby boy.

n The MS Daily Minute

nationalMSsociety.org/dailyminute

n Find 60-second videos packed with

tinyurl.com/KaraStoryPartOne

The National MS Society follows Kara from her first trimester …

n Kara’s Story — Part I

information on: • Beginning MS Therapy after Pregnancy; • Relapses During Pregnancy; • Breastfeeding with MS; and • Support During and After the Pregnancy.

Picturing disability By Donna Fellman Twenty years ago, in August 1991, when my children were 6, 4, and 11 months old, I was diagnosed with MS. My youngest child, Kaija, was taking her first steps while I was losing the ability to walk. I used a cane, but soon needed crutches, and by the time Kaija was 2, I was using a wheelchair most of the time.

Last year, in a college photography class, Kaija was given the assignment to do a photographic essay. She chose “Disability” as the subject and framed images that showed her development as a little girl with portrayals showing the progression of my disability. There

is a photo of her little shoes with my cane, representing her learning to walk alongside my difficulty walking. Included is a sequence of shoes to illustrate her growing up, my mobility aids, our legs together, her self-portrait in a wheelchair, and other images depicting her memories and perceptions of disability.

We talked about what it was like for her and her brothers growing up. Looking at her little red shoes, I said to Kaija I had never held her hand and walked with her.

Her reply: “I always had your lap.”

Donna Fellman lives in rural Maine.

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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LIVING well WITH MS

New teleconference series The National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter now offers an exciting opportunity to learn about a variety of MS-related topics — all from the comfort of your own home. The Midwest Teleconference Series is held the second Monday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. CT (6 to 7 p.m. MT). Each month, an MS specialist provides up-to-date information about a specific topic, ranging from symptom management strategies to social networking to healthy eating with MS. The Midwest Teleconference Series is brought to you through a collaboration of National MS Society chapters serving Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. Best of all, there’s no cost to participate. Registration is required and participation is limited for each call, so sign up today!

Upcoming topics Monday, Feb. 13, 7-8 p.m. CT “What about Progressive MS,” with Dorothy Northrup, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., Vice President of Research and Clinical Operations, National MS Society Monday, March 12, 7-8 p.m. CT “Research: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?” with Dr. Rana Zabad, Neurologist, University of Nebraska Medical Center MS Clinic Monday, April 9, 7-8 p.m. CT “Maximizing Your Physical Therapy for Optimum Benefit” with Dr. Deborah Silkwood-Sherer, P.T., Central Michigan University Monday, May 14, 7-8 p.m. CT “Me, Myself and I: The Art of Being Your Own Care Partner” with Marcia Finlayson, Ph.D., O.T.(C), O.T.R./L., Professor and Director of Graduate Studies; and Kath Preissner, M.G.S., O.T.R./L., Clinical Assistant Professor and 10

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Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (both from the Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago) Monday, June 11, 7-8 p.m. CT “Give Yourself A Hand: Tools for Everyday Life” with Merin Salsbury, P.T., Madonna Rehabilitation, Lincoln, Neb.; and Collen Sellman, O.T.R./L.-technology

How to register To register, visit MSsociety.org. Click “Programs Services” then “Midwest Teleconference Series.” Or, call 800-344-4867. Upon registration, you’ll receive the conference call number.

volunteers

Volunteer spotlight Sara Whitmer Sara Whitmer spends three days a week volunteering at the Upper Midwest Chapter Des Moines office. She’s been volunteering for the National MS Society for more than three years and currently volunteers as the office administrative assistant. She also procures auction items for Taste of Generosity, a wine-tasting event that will take place Feb. 18 in West Des Moines.

Prior to volunteering at the Society, Sara worked for 18 years as a health and welfare consultant in the Chicago area. While in Chicago, she became a Cubs and Bears fanatic.

Her favorite Cubs baseball player is Ron Santo and her favorite Bear player of all time is Walter Payton.

When Sara’s is not volunteering, she’s reading a good book or driving her black convertible.

She dreams of one day owning a vintage 60s Mercedes convertible.

Thank you for all you do, Sara!

Read more about Sara and meet other Everyday Heroes at tinyurl.com/EverydayHeroes

Upper Midwest Chapter volunteer opportunities Volunteers are essential partners in the movement to end MS. With your help, the National MS Society can stretch donor dollars and build a stronger organization.

Volunteer and move us closer to a world free of MS! There are many ways to get involved whether you live in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin.

Do you want to help ensure the success of the chapter’s 33 walks and six bike rides? Sign up to assist with a Walk MS or Bike MS event near you.

Do you want to support efforts that improve the lives of people living with MS? Consider contributing your time and talents to MS programs, advocacy, public awareness campaigns and education.

Do you want to use your skills to help staff in one of our five offices? We always need help with administrative work!

For more information about volunteering or to sign up today, please call 800-582-5296 (option 2). We’ll find a role that fits you to a “T.”

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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research

Fifty-two MS genes identified In the largest multiple sclerosis genetics study ever, researchers have documented 29 new genetic variants associated with MS, and confirmed 23 others previously implicated in the disease.

vitamin D levels are a risk factor for developing MS. (The Society is funding a new clinical trial of vitamin D supplementation.)

The study, a collaboration between the International MS Genetics Consortium and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2, was published in the Aug. 11, 2011, issue of Nature, Most of the genes were related to immune and involved nearly 10,000 people with MS and function and more than a third have already been more than 17,000 who don’t have the disease. linked to autoimmune diseases. A large number While the results of genetics studies haven’t so were related to T-cell function; T cells, a type of far resulted in the ability to do individual genetic white blood cell, play a major role in the immune counseling, these and further findings should system’s attack against the nervous system in help uncover what causes MS and improve MS. Also, two genes linked to vitamin D were treatments. The Society is funding a second large found: research increasingly suggests low study to confirm and expand these results.

New MS therapy moves forward The first phase III study of alemtuzumab (proposed brand name Lemtrada) for relapsingremitting multiple sclerosis determined the drug met one of two primary endpoints. Researchers found people treated with the drug had 55 percent fewer relapses over two years compared to those taking the interferon Rebif. However, results of the trial’s other goal, to delay disability, were not statistically better than Rebif. The study, named CARE-MS I, involved 581 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Another trial — CAREMS II — is still underway.

Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody which attacks the cells in the immune system that

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contribute to myelin damage. (Monoclonal antibodies are the same because they’re made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell.) It’s presently approved by the FDA to treat B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Sanofi and Genzyme, the drug’s sponsors, plan to seek approval of this intravenous drug for MS in the U.S. in early 2012. In June 2010, the FDA designated alemtuzumab a “Fast Track Product,” which should expedite its future review after results of the phase III trials are submitted.

research

Bone health may begin early People with MS have long been known to be at risk for bone loss, but a study published in the July 12, 2011, issue of Neurology suggests it can occur very early, even before MS has been diagnosed.

According to the study, low bone mass is more widespread among people newly diagnosed with MS, or those with clinically isolated syndrome (or CIS, a single episode of MS-like symptoms), than among people without MS. Study researchers measured bone density in 99 people newly diagnosed with MS or CIS, compared to 159 people without MS. More than half of the people with MS or CIS had low bone mass, compared to 37 percent of controls.

Previously, scientists had speculated people with MS are at greater risk of low bone density and broken bones due to factors such as lack of exercise stemming from mobility issues, medications or low levels of vitamin D (which plays a significant role in building bone).

The researchers suggested that even early in MS, people should pay attention to good bone health by getting adequate vitamin D and calcium — such as from milk — as well as by performing weight-bearing activities.

For more ideas on promoting bone health, go to nationalMSsociety.org and search for “You Can Build Healthier Bones.”

MS research takes center stage In October, About.com blogger Dr. Julie Stachowiak and producer and director Kate Milliken — both of whom live with multiple sclerosis — reported live from the world’s largest MS conference on the National MS Society’s blog.

MS), more than 5,000 of the world’s leading scientists and clinicians gathered Oct. 19 to 22, 2011, in Amsterdam. Results from four phase III studies on MS therapies were presented, along with the latest research on MS risk factors, treatments and diagnosis.

At the fifth joint meeting of ECTRIMS and ACTRIMS (the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in

Visit blog.nationalMSsociety.org, and connect with people with MS, the people who care about them and MS experts from around the world.

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 582 5296

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CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT

Walser wins Corporate Star Award

Walser is a dedicated supporter of the MS movement, generously sponsoring Walk MS, Ride MS Motorcycle Tour and Challenge Walk MS: Twin Cities. Since they first became involved with the chapter in 2008, the company has donated a whopping $100,000 to keep the MS movement on track toward an MS-free world! This year, the company even received the Jefferson Award from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

But Walser is not only generous financially. More than 60 employees volunteered at this year’s Walk MS to handle just about everything — from setting up, to serving breakfast, to cheering on the walkers. This committed volunteer group also made pancakes for Ride MS participants and donated the Walser RV to one lucky team on Challenge Walk MS. On top of everything, Walser also held a public donation drive to collect household goods and donations to alleviate the financial strain for families living with MS. Thank you, Walser, for moving our mission full speed ahead.

First-year sponsor gets dirty for MS!

The National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter recognizes Osceola Medical Center for stepping up as the official safety sponsor for Mud Run MS Twin Cities in 2011. This first-year sponsor developed an extensive safety plan prior to the event, which involved a number

of site visits, and recruited and coordinated the first-aid volunteers for Mud Run MS. On top of it all, Osceola Medical Center provided medical supplies, printed their own T-shirts and banners, helped promote the event by purchasing newspaper ads and recruited several teams to participate. Their fitness center — Wild River — also provided training tips to runners.

This amazing group was vital to making sure participants had a safe experience while getting extraordinarily dirty for the MS movement.

Thank you, 97.3 The Hawk The top country music station in Des Moines, Iowa — 97.3 The Hawk — has been a committed sponsor of Walk MS for nearly a 14

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decade, providing tons of donated air time to rally its listeners to join the MS movement. The station goes above and beyond to make Walk MS: Des Moines stand out and people have come to associate the station, and on-air talent Kim Chase, with Walk MS. Thank you, 97.3, for all your support!

CALENDAR

Feb. 15

MS Day at the Capitol; Pierre, SD

Feb. 16

On the Move Little Black Dress Luncheon; Fargo, ND

Feb. 18

A Taste of Generosity; West Des Moines, IA

March 3

On the Move Little Black Dress Brunch; Iowa City, IA

March 12–18 MS Awareness Week March 14

MS Day at the Capitol; Des Moines, IA

March 15

MS Day at the Capitol; St. Paul, MN

May 6

Walk MS: Minnesota

May 12

Bike MS: SAM’S CLUB Twin Cities Ride Check out a list of upcoming community fundraising events at tinyurl.com/MS-CommunityEvents

Consultations *Free and by appointment only.

Family attorney consultations Rod Jensen, attorney at law Call chapter to schedule appointment.

Employment consultations Jennifer Johnson, tips on interviewing, resumes and more Call chapter to schedule appointment.

Employment discrimination/private disability consultations Denise Tataryn, attorney at law Feb. 2, March 1, April 5

For information or to register Programs Contact registration line: 612-335-7900 or 800-582-5296 Telephone consultations Contact Sarah, Jill or Heather: 612-335-7900 or 800-582-5296 Fundraising events Contact Ann: 612-335-7975 or 800-582-5296

Financial planning consultations John Robinson, C.F.P.®, financial advisor Feb. 13, March 12, April 9 Newly diagnosed consultations Call 800-582-5296 (option 2) to schedule a face-to-face meeting or phone consultation with an Upper Midwest Chapter MS Navigator®. Some evening and Saturday times are available.

TOLL-FREE NUMBER 800 344 582 4867 5296

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Nonprofit US Postage

PAID

Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 1759

200 12th Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55415-1255

Don’t just ride, Bike MS. Six rides /// One destination /// A world free of MS With fun, challenging and scenic routes and top-notch support from start to finish — Bike MS isn’t just any ride. It’s a demonstration of collective strength. With every push of the pedal, we can do more for everyone living with multiple sclerosis.

Bike MS: SAM’S CLUB Twin Cities Ride May 12 /// 30 or 60 miles Minnesota

Bike MS: TRAM Ride July 22-27 /// 300 miles Minnesota

Bike MS: C.H. Robinson Worldwide MS 150 Ride June 8-10 /// 150 miles Minnesota

Bike MS: Ride the Wind July 28-29 /// 150 miles North Dakota

Bike MS: Cruise the Cornfields June 23-24 /// 75 or 150 miles Iowa

Bike MS: Pedal the Plains Aug. 4-5 /// 50, 75 or 150 miles South Dakota

Register today /// myMSbike.org /// 800-582-5296