MS Connection, March/April 2008

MOVING TOWARD A WORLD FREE OF MS

March-April 2008

Volume 21 • Issue 2

Minnesota Chapter

Walk to create a world free of MS

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ach year, hundreds of thousands of people join together to move closer to a world free of multiple sclerosis by participating in Walk MS events. A total of 600 walks are held across the country including 17 right here in Minnesota and western Wisconsin Sunday, May 4.

As the official MS Awareness Month, March is the perfect time to get involved in the movement to end MS. Don’t know where to start? Register for Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk 2008 presented by Anchor Bank, which will be held in Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Chisholm, Duluth, Fairmont, Faribault, Fergus Falls, Grand Rapids, Mankato, Marshall, Red Wing, River Falls, Wis., Rochester, St. Cloud, Twin Cities and Willmar.

The Twin Cities walk will offer two route options both starting and ending at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis (Learn more about the Twin Cities route on Page 14). To learn more or register for a Walk MS event in your community, visit www.MSsociety.org.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

continued on Page 14

Research Page 8

Giving Page 11

Join a Walk MS event near you Walk MS events welcome movers of every kind. Here are some ways to get involved. n Trouble with mobility? Walk MS routes

are fully supported and accessible to wheelchairs. Or, consider choosing a shorter route option. n Training is a bore? Ask us about starting

a team — and get the spirit that gets you going. n Getting pledges is a chore? Ask us about

easy online fundraising. n Just coming out helps us move. Visit

www.MSsociety.org or call 1-800-582-5296 to learn more about volunteering.

The Movement Page 12

News Page 16

Can you help us?

612-335-7900 / 1-800-582-5296 Publication of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter 200 12th Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55415

Office supplies

Other supplies

n address labels

n baby monitors

Chair Karen Larson

n banker boxes

n first aid supplies

Chapter President Maureen Reeder

n copy paper (various

Newsletter Editor Emily Wilson E-mail editor@mssociety.org 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 National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS. Sponsorship of society programs or events does not connote that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society recognizes superiority in products or services provided by the sponsoring entity over other entities providing like or similar products or services.

To obtain an audio tape of MS Connection, call Timothy Holtz at the Minnesota Chapter. Š 2008 National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter

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The Minnesota Chapter is always looking for in-kind donations. If you are able to donate any items on the list below, please call the chapter.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT: nationalMSsociety.org

n CD jewel cases

sizes, colors needed)

(call for details) n kitchen supplies

(call for details)

n file folders

n lanyards

n name badge labels

n Rubbermaid

n printing calculators n three-ring binders

containers n Mardi Gras

decorations

n white boards

n Metro Mobility tickets

Equipment

n gift certificates/prizes

n fishing poles

n toiletries

n CDs and DVDs

n tool box

n DVD player

n turning sheets n yellow 3M vinyl and

polyethylene tape

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 contact the society at www.nationalmssociety.org or 1-800-582-5296 to learn more.

Letter from the president Walk with us May 4, rain, snow, sleet or shine

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n Minnesota we don’t always associate spring with blooming flowers, chirping birds and Maureen Reeder warm temperatures. In Chapter President fact we know that over the next couple months an afterthought of winter could be lurking around every corner.

But while we can’t rely on the weather for any regularity, there are some things I’ve come to love about spring that never change.

The Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk presented by Anchor Bank, the Minnesota Chapter’s biggest event, brings thousands of people together each year in communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin to move closer to a world free of multiple sclerosis. Last year 10,000 people joined together and raised nearly $2 million to fund important research projects and support families living with MS in our chapter area.

It’s a powerful thing to see so many people out walking for the cause. It has brought tears to my eyes to watch this huge public demonstration of support. Walk MS is a celebration that brings families, friends, companies, communities and perfect strangers together to say “We want to do something about MS now” and to continue to make our movement stronger. That’s what I love about Walk MS: people coming together, rain, snow, sleet or shine, because the cause is more important than our comfort.

This year the Christopher & Banks Twin Cities Walk will offer more excitement than ever before. Walkers and volunteers will experience music, games and other fun entertainment.

New this year, the Twin Cities walk will both start and end at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. It will look and feel more like a festive event both in the Twin Cities and the other 16 greater Minnesota walk sites. Please come and check out this year’s Walk MS on May 4. I’ll be there and I hope you will, too.

Because whether we’re wearing T-shirts or parkas, we will move closer to a world free of MS, together.

And, much like spring, Walk MS reinvigorates us, reminding us that while we are closer than ever before to ending MS, there is still work to be done.

Windy conditions at last year’s Walk MS didn’t stop us from raising nearly $2 million to help end MS.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Buy a car from Walser in March — help the MS Society As an official sponsor of MS Awareness Week, Walser Automotive Group will donate $500 (up to $20,000) to the MS Society for every new car sold in

March when customers mention the MS Society. Be sure to look for the 45-foot Walser RV at the Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Twin Cities Walk start and finish site at Minnehaha Park.

Take a personal tech snapshot Find solutions to tech problems such as reading text on the screen or using a mouse.

Visit mymsmyway.com and answer a few simple questions on the “snapshot” quiz.

You’ll get customized information detailing solutions — including many that are low cost.

Mymsmyway.com is a Web site that helps people with MS use technology to better live with the disease.

Momentum is the new InsideMS The society’s national magazine is now Momentum, an 80page quarterly. If you have MS, Momentum is a society benefit.

Others may request it with their contributions.

Some back issues of InsideMS (which began publication in 1983) are available at nationalMSsociety.org/magazine. For more information, call 1-800-344-4867.

Chapter awards $100,000 grant to MS center In the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, the Minnesota Chapter awarded a $100,000 community grant to the University of Minnesota MS Center in Minneapolis to help support patient education, unreimbursed services and professional education. The Community Grant Program seeks to address the needs of people with MS at a grassroots

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level through collaboration with other nonprofit organizations and affiliated clinics.

Grant proposals are reviewed quarterly and grants are awarded based on the needs of people with MS and compliance with approved terms and conditions. For more information, contact Linda Munson at 612-335-7953 or lmunson@mssociety.org.

The Minnesota Chapter has a new volunteer opportunity for book lovers. The chapter is looking for volunteers to review books from the Lending Library. Choose the book you want to read and the Minnesota Chapter will send it to you. All you need to do is

read the book and complete the book-review form. Your review will help others decide if the book is right for them.

To learn more, contact Rachel Ring at rring@mssociety.org or 612-335-7937.

NEWS BRIEFS

Love to read? Be a volunteer book critic

MS Awareness Week marks launch of new Web site MS Awareness Week, March 10 to 17, kicked the MS movement into high gear, rallying hundreds of thousands of people across the country to do something about MS now. The week also marked the launch of the new-and-improved National MS Society Web site, which aims to better connect people to the society and provide more tools for spreading awareness in their communities.

Features of the new site include a section for people to post how they have joined

the movement, a toolkit with ideas for raising awareness, an online store offering MS-branded hats, T-shirts, mugs and more, videos to pass along to friends, family members or co-workers, poll questions and much more. This year’s MS Awareness Week also focused on recognizing the millions of people who have already joined the movement by including profiles of people who are doing something extraordinary to end MS.

Activists drive local, national success Twins stadium

MS research funding

In the September/October issue, we asked for your ideas about accessibility features you’d like to see in the new Twins stadium.

As a member of the Twins Accessibility Advisory Committee, the MS Society passed these ideas along and is pleased to report the stadium will include a second elevator for commuter rail passengers. This ensures that in the event one elevator breaks down, people with disabilities will still have accessible means to get to the stadium.

In response to the voices of more than 100,000 MS activists urging Congress to increase federal funding for MS research, President Bush signed the Defense Appropriations funding bill (H.R. 3222) in November 2007. MS research is now eligible for funding under the Department of Defense for the first time ever. Get the full story at nationalMSSociety.org/advocacy.

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LIVING WITH MS

10 things you didn’t know about “MS Navigators” Multiple sclerosis — whether you are newly diagnosed or have lived with the disease for years — can present issues, both big and small, that you may not know how to deal with.

MS Navigators at the Minnesota Chapter’s Information and Referral Center, or IRC, are available to guide people with MS to answers, information and solutions.

1. Newly diagnosed? Learn about newly diagnosed counseling groups, which are different than ongoing self-help groups.

2. Disclosing your MS at work. Find out how the Americans with Disabilities Act affects you and learn other employment resources and strategies.

3. Information about wills, trusts, advanced directives and more.

4. Changing jobs and worried about keeping your health insurance? Learn about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. 5. The nuts and bolts of health insurance coverage including how to know whether certain treatments will be covered under a plan and if not, what options are available.

6. Neurologist visits. What to expect, how to prepare, referrals and what to do if you didn’t connect with your doctor.

7. Minnesota Chapter financial programs.

8. Accessible housing or transportation in your area.

9. The ABCs of Medicare, Social Security Disability Income and/or short- or long-term disability insurance.

10.

If you’re unsure whether the IRC can help, call anyway. If they can’t help you directly, MS Navigators can guide you to other community resources for home modifications, care providers, CALLING AFTER HOURS legal issues, recreation and wellness and much more.

The IRC no longer has extended hours on Tuesday evenings but can arrange pre-scheduled phone consultations after hours. Just call 1-800-582-5296 to set up a time.

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“The unpredictability and fear surrounding an MS diagnosis can change family and personal relationships. A good resource is the Relationship Matters program for couples living with MS.” — Claire Loesch, LSW “MS can change your work life in ways both big and small. It is important to understand what and when to disclose, how the ADA protects you and available employment resources.”

“It’s important to have a good relationship with your physician. Call us for tips on working with your doctor and for referrals to health professionals in the area.”

LIVING WITH MS

Here are some other tips from your MS Navigators:

— Jaclyn Groneberg, LGSW “With MS, there is always the possibility of changes in symptoms. If you need to try out a piece of equipment before you buy it or borrow something temporarily, like for a vacation, take advantage of the loan pool.”

— Heather Svenson, LSW, MSCS, MSSMC

— Sarah Danen, LICSW, MSCS, MSSMC

MS activists kicked off MS Awareness Week March 10 and 11 at the 2008 Capitol Conference in St. Paul, where they met with legislators to advocate for a family caregiver tax credit and an increase in accessible transportation options across Minnesota.

Focusing on caregivers A recent legislative report estimates that for every one percent decline in informal caregiving, there is a $30 million increase in public expenditures (Financing Long-Term Care for Minnesota’s Baby Boomers, 2005).

The Minnesota Chapter, along with AARP, Alzheimer’s Association and the Courage Center, is working to provide a tax credit to help curtail caregivers’ use of public programs and allow families to remain together in the community. The tax credit will provide limited financial compensation (up to $200 per month, $1,200 per year) to family members who care for people with disabilities and/or seniors

requiring assistance who are otherwise at risk of entering a skilled nursing facility.

Moving transportation forward

ADVOCACY

Building momentum at the Capitol

The chapter is also advocating for increased transportation services across Minnesota.

This proposal seeks to increase funding for transit services and make transit options more seamless across county lines. A hearing of the House Transit Committee was held in February to discuss transit issues for people with disabilities and what can be done to increase options.

BECOME AN ACTIVIST Join the Minnesota Action Network at www.mssociety.org. The chapter would like to hear how these issues affect you. E-mail us your story at advocacystories@mssociety.org.

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RESEARCH

Progress made in repairing MS damage With aggressive funding from the National MS Society and many other sponsors, researchers are pursuing ways to reverse the damage done by MS to nerve fibers and the protective myelin coating that surrounds them. Encouraging results have emerged from two recent laboratory studies.

Mayo Clinic zeroes in on an antibody It may not have the most memorable name, but rHIgM22 recently made news when Dr. Moses Rodriguez and his Mayo Clinic team reported success in repairing myelin when they injected a single dose of this monoclonal antibody into mice with an MS-like disease (See Page 9). Although findings will need to be confirmed by further animal and human studies, the results take us one step further to stimulate myelin repair in people with MS.

Block that LINGO Researchers funded by Biogen Idec, Inc., which makes the MS disease-modifying drug Avonex, recently reported success in repairing myelin in mice by blocking a myelin molecule called LINGO-1. Dr. Sha Mi

and colleagues wrote about their findings in the Sept. 30, online edition of Nature Medicine.

LINGO-1 is part of a complex of molecules within myelin called the Nogo receptor complex that has been shown to inhibit the regeneration of nerve fibers. In an earlier study, published in the March 2004 issue of Nature Neuroscience, Mi’s team reported that remyelination occurred and the health of nerve fibers improved when LINGO-1 was disabled.

In the current study, the Biogen team first induced EAE, an MS-like disease, in mice with and without LINGO-1. Both groups developed EAE symptoms, but they were significantly milder in mice without the molecule. Studies of tissue samples showed significant myelin repair in these mice as well.

The team then administered a LINGO-1 antibody capable of blocking LINGO-1 activity to mice that already had symptoms of EAE. The treatment stabilized disease progression after two weeks. Tissue analysis showed that treatment reduced nerve fiber damage and enhanced myelin repair in the spinal cord, compared with untreated mice.

Biogen plans to continue researching this possible new approach to MS treatment.

Research Directions in Multiple Sclerosis This brand-new publication — written by Drs. John Richert and Diana M. Schneider — explores recent advances in MS research: what we know now and where research will be headed for the next decade.

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To download a free copy, visit nationalMSsociety. org and visit the Brochures section of the Library.

RESEARCH

Research pipeline After researching immune promotion and repair for 25 years, Dr. Moses Rodriguez — professor and researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. — recently made an exciting discovery about the role of an antibody in stimulating myelin repair (See Page 8). In an interview with the Minnesota Chapter, Rodriguez breaks down his recent findings and what they mean for the road ahead in MS research and gives some insight into the life of a researcher.

Dr. Moses Rodriguez

Q: You have learned about the power of antibodies in remyelination. What is an antibody?

Q: Now that you have isolated this antibody and know its potential for repairing myelin, what are the next steps?

A: Antibodies are proteins made by the body as a response to injury or an invader, such as a virus. They protect us by clearing the virus from the body.

A: Antibody 22 is moving forward for clinical trials. We are moving it as quickly as we can to get it through various approvals. This will be the first trial ever to see if we can induce myelin repair.

Q: You recently discovered a special antibody, rHIgM22. Tell me what makes this antibody unique in regard to myelin repair.

A: We found this naturally-occurring antibody in mice, which helped repair myelin. When this antibody attached to an oligodentrocyte, a cell that is responsible for producing myelin, it signaled the cell and told it to remyelinate.

Q: How effective was this in the mice?

A: When mice with an MS-like disease were given one single dose of rHIgM22, 70 percent of their lesions were completely repaired.

Q: Do humans have this antibody?

Q: How long has it taken you to get to this point in the research?

A: I have been working on immune promotion and repair for 25 years. It is a slow process and the gains are small along the way: We were excited when we found the antibody.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not in the lab?

A: I write music and play classical and jazz trombone. I have written more than 200 pieces for trombone and perform regularly in Trombones Anonymous, a trombone choir of about 10 to 12 trombonists.

A: Yes. After the mice studies, we had clues as to what the human antibody would look like and we found it fairly easily.

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CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT

Growing corporate support for Walk MS Great River Energy sponsors Walk MS

Two new national Walk MS sponsors

Great River Energy — the second largest electric utility in the state — is a sponsor for all 17 sites of the Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk 2008. Great River Energy Chief Financial Officer and Minnesota Chapter Board of Trustees Treasurer Larry Schmid has been personally touched by MS. His daughter was diagnosed nearly 10 years ago. “I knew almost nothing of the disease when she was diagnosed. I have learned a lot over the years,” Schmid said. “Through my leadership role at the chapter I have seen firsthand the good work being done to serve people with MS, but I know there are still many opportunities to make a significant difference.” According to Schmid, sponsoring Walk MS is a great way to rally the company’s 28 member cooperatives to support the 17 Walk MS communities.

Acorda Therapeutics joins Walk MS by sponsoring 20 walk sites across the country. Acorda will support Walk MS by forming a fundraising team and providing volunteers and giveaways.

Pure Protein returns as a sponsor in Minnesota by supporting Walk MS in the Twin Cities and the Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150. In total, Pure Protein will support 44 chapters as a 2008 national sponsor. Pure Protein promotes MS awareness in many ways including advertising in national magazines and Major League Baseball yearbooks, and in brochures at major national retailers such as Wal-Mart.

2008 MS Collection jewelry line Since Christopher & Banks’ nationwide jewelry line, the “MS Collection,” sold out in less than three months last year, the company plans to release a second line in March. The jewelry — designed in partnership with The Good Bead Company — includes earrings, a necklace and an elasticized bracelet for easy wearing. The collection features a pearl to represent a community committed to moving lives forward, crackle quartz to provide

10 JOIN THE MOVEMENT: nationalMSsociety.org

balance and healing, eternity rings to reflect connection to the movement and Swarovski® crystals that sparkle of hope as we move closer to a world free of MS. The MS Collection will be sold in Christopher & Banks and C.J. Banks stores beginning March 1 and a portion of each sale will be donated to the National MS Society.

GIVING

Moving forward as a family

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he Clark family understands that multiple sclerosis affects not just the person with the disease, but the entire family. And Heather Clark, who lives with MS, knows that by making use of Minnesota Chapter programs and services, she is helping herself to live better with the disease, which helps her husband, Tim, and 9-year-old daughter, Emily, too.

When Heather and Tim devised their will, their attorney asked if they’d like to leave a gift to a charitable organization.

The National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter immediately came to mind. The Clarks saw an opportunity to continue fueling the movement against MS after their The Clark family joined the Pillars of lifetimes and give back to an organization that Society by including the society in their will. allows them to continue When Heather was hospitalized as result of an MS exacerbation moving forward as a family, in spite of MS. years ago, the family became familiar with various chapter services from aids for daily living to educational programs to financial assistance. Heather is a regular at the weeklong MS Camp and the annual Women’s Getaway. She also attends a self-help group for people with MS and makes sure to let group members know about the variety of resources available through the chapter.

Since Heather was diagnosed with the disease before her daughter was born, Emily has grown up with MS in her family her whole life. According to Heather and Tim, Emily always has a positive attitude about coping with her mother’s disease and serves as a caregiver along with her dad when Heather needs assistance. But Emily still finds time to be an active fifth grader at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School, participating in cheerleading, band, softball, snowboarding and other activities.

“It is not the amount you give — it’s that you do it and are involved all along the way,” the Clarks said. “We are working together to make MS go away and our gift will help people later, if not in our lifetimes.”

Because the Clarks remembered the society in their will, they are members of the Pillars of Society. As members of this group, they receive special perks including being honored at the annual Sylvies awards banquet held each November at the MS Annual Convention.

PILLARS OF SOCIETY For more information about the Pillars of Society, contact Shannon Wolkerstorfer at 612-335-7928 or swolkerstorfer@mssociety.org.

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I JOINED THE MOVEMENT

Sideline support keeps nine-year cyclist coming back

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r. Mary Tahnk-Johnson and her husband, Ray, both enjoyed cycling all their lives and in 1999 decided to participate in the Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman 150 Ride. It wasn’t until after they registered that Mary received news that changed their whole reason for riding.

The previous year, Mary noticed whenever she exercised on her treadmill she lost vision in her left eye. This, along with recurring eye pain, prompted her to visit her ophthalmologist. The doctor discovered nothing out of the ordinary, but as a doctor herself, she knew something wasn’t right.

After some research she suspected it was optic neuritis, which she learned is often the first sign of multiple sclerosis. Her suspicion was right.

After her diagnosis, Mary had to give up some of her favorite activities like broomball, because running increased her body temperature and exacerbated her symptoms, and fatigue prevented her from continuing her regular evening workouts.

Mary said this has been one of the hardest things to deal with since her diagnosis. But though cycling periodically triggers her symptoms, she has adapted by riding early in the morning while she has energy and the weather is still comfortable.

Mary’s first Larkin Hoffman MS 150 presented her with new physical challenges.

Not only was it her first time attempting this type of event, but she was also newly diagnosed with MS, pregnant and experiencing morning sickness. But after

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she began riding Mary was overwhelmed by all the people supporting her and the other riders along the route.

When she crossed the finish line she was met by groups of people Dr. Mary cheering and ringing Tahnk-Johnson cowbells. “I started crying,” Mary said. “The solidarity of it all was so cool and so motivating. That alone kept me coming back each year.”

This year will mark Mary and Ray’s ninth MS 150 and their second year as part of title sponsor Larkin Hoffman’s team. Mary is consistently amazed by the support and appreciation from people affected by MS, whether they are riders, volunteers or cheering bystanders.

“It’s very inspiring to see how excited other people are that you’re out there and doing the event for them,” Mary said.

MS BIKE CLUB Mary Tahnk-Johnson is one of more than 30 people who ride in the Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 and have MS. Riders with MS have the opportunity to connect with other participants living with the disease through the MS Bike Club. For more information, contact Jeannie Zank at 612-335-7939 or jzank@mssociety.org.

“If you are up-tempo and cheerful when you volunteer, you will make a huge difference while having a lot of fun.”

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rom making beds at MS Camp, to serving breakfast to Bike MS riders, veteran volunteer Jim Sueker of Minneapolis, helps out in any way he can, inspiring those around him with his enthusiasm and cheerfulness.

After Sueker first rode in the Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 in 1981, he was immediately hooked on Bike MS events. The following year he came back as a volunteer ride marshal, helping to ensure safety for riders and assisting with bike repairs along the route. Sueker later volunteered as a luggage truck and rest stop truck driver for the Star Tribune TRAM and eventually became a rest stop supervisor, a position he has held for nearly all of the 18 years since the event’s inception.

VOLUNTEERS

Jack-of-all-trades volunteer hooked on helping

In 2001, Sueker began volunteering for MS Camp, a weeklong program for adults living with MS. After seeing the benefit camp provided to people with MS, he was, again, hooked.

Sueker has volunteered at camp ever since.

Jim Sueker

According to Sueker, the excitement of the events and programs and the rewarding feeling he gets from helping others is more than enough to keep him coming back.

“If you are up-tempo and cheerful when you volunteer, you will make a huge difference while having a lot of fun,” Sueker said.

Volunteer opportunities May 3-9 and Aug. 16-22, MS Camp A weeklong program in Maple Lake, Minn.

Nurses and cabin assistants needed.

May 4, Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk presented by Anchor Bank 17 sites in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Volunteers needed for registration, set-up, route support, first aid and more.

May 10, Bike MS: Allianz Twin Cities Ride One-day ride that starts and ends in

Maplewood. Volunteers needed for route support, registration, food services and more.

June 6-8, Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 Ride Weekend ride from Proctor, Minn., to the Twin Cities with an overnight in Hinckley.

Volunteers needed at the start and finish, rest stops, overnight sites and more.

June 14-21, Youth Camp Weeklong camp for youth affected by MS. Counselors, especially males, and nurses needed.

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NEWS

Twin Cities route The Twin Cities walk will showcase the best of Minneapolis and St. Paul, offering a 1.5- or 6.5-mile route. And new this year, walkers will start and end at beautiful Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis.

The 6.5-mile route will take walkers along West River Parkway and across the historic Ford Parkway Bridge into St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood.

Heading north on East River Parkway, participants will walk along the Mississippi River bluffs and cross the Lake Street Bridge before finishing in Minnehaha Park with friends and family.

FROM PAGE 1 Last year’s Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk presented by Anchor Bank broke records in fundraising and participation with nearly 1,000 volunteers and 10,000 walkers raising approximately $1.9 million to help end MS. This year the 21st annual Christopher & Banks Walk is expected to raise more than $2 million to support programs and services for people with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and research to find a cure.

The 1.5-mile route will feature the beautiful Minnehaha Park area, taking walkers through the Minneapolis Veterans Home and back to the south end of the park.

About the new brand Walking and biking make their own kinds of marks on the landscape. Each person’s way of moving is unique.

But when we walk or bike together, our individual movements add up to something more powerful: a bold, unified gesture (or mark) that is made up of many diverse parts. Last year the National MS Society launched a new brand that speaks to the bold new direction of our organization. In 2008, you’ll see a new look for Walk MS and Bike MS events, too, that shows how together, we can all make our mark against MS.

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CALENDAR

March 15

Estate Planning, Twin Cities

March 28–30 Couple’s Getaway, Plymouth April 3

MS and Fitness, Minneapolis

April 5

Travel Tips, St. Paul

April 11–13

Women’s Getaway, Minneapolis

April 26

Moving Forward, Duluth

May 3

Moving Forward, Shakopee

May 4

Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk presented by Anchor Bank

May 4–9

MS Camp, Maple Lake

May 10

Bike MS: Allianz Twin Cities Ride

May 15

MS and Fitness, Marshall

Telephone consultations * Telephone consultations are free and by appointment only

For information or to register Programs Contact registration line: 612-335-7970 Telephone consultations Contact Sarah or Heather: 612-335-7900 Walk, bike and motorsport events Contact Cortney: 612-335-7951

Family attorney consultations Rod Jensen, attorney at law March 18 and April 15 Employment consultations Jennifer Johnson, tips on interviewing, resumes and more March 19 and April 16 Employment discrimination/private disability consultations Denise Tataryn, attorney at law April 3 and May 1 Financial planning consultations John Robinson, C.F.P.®, financial advisor April 14 and May 12 TOLL FREE NUMBER 1 800 582 5296 15

NEWS

MS films available on YouTube

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he National MS Society launched an MS Film Festival last fall to give people with MS a platform to tell their story and show how they are moving forward. A film committee, made up of people with MS who work in the entertainment industry, selected five finalists and paired them with production companies to bring their stories to life. To view the five short films, visit YouTube.com and search for “Moving Forward Film Festival.”

Don’t miss seeing the films on the “big screen” at the 2008 MS Annual Convention in November.

FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND AND HANDICAPPED

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