Your Support is Needed!!

Dear Friends,

I recently signed up to participate in the National MS Society's Bike MS: Historic New Bern Ride September 8-9, 2012. l am very excited to be contributing to a great cause and participating in such a challenging event. The goal of this year's Bike MS is to raise $1.7 million for MS research, programs, services, and advocacy for the 13,500 people living with MS here in the Carolinaa. I would like for you to join me in supporting this great cause by making a contribution toward my fundraising efforts.

Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the US and 2.5 million worldwide.

I believe in the work that the National MS Society is doing to ultimately create a world free of MS and hope that you will join me in supporting them. Thanks in advance for your generosity and willingness to join the movement to create a world free of MS.

Sincerely,
Rolando Villegas

Click below for my personal page and make a secure, online donation today!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=6169518&pg=personal&fr_id=18145

What is your goal?
Thanks for doing this BTW

Scottydog wrote:

What is your goal?
Thanks for doing this BTW

My goal is $300. The fund raising has been tough this year... economy and all. Its absolutely a privilege and honor to ride. I work for a company that makes 2 MS therapies and I speak to MS patients everyday. This will be my 3rd time riding. I missed it last year because my knee surgery was 2 weeks earlier.

I just got a donation a few minutes ago from a "Timothy Haynes"... are you going by an alias these days?

Timothy Scott is the grown up version of me...

Scottydog wrote:

Timothy Scott is the grown up version of me...

lol oh ok. Well thank you very much. It means a lot and I appreciate the support.

Donated! Good luck!

David B wrote:

Donated! Good luck!

Thank you so much David for your generous donation!

Problem solved. Thanks for doing this!

Speedrye wrote:

Problem solved. Thanks for doing this!

Oh man. WOW. Thank you so much! Thats incredibly generous of you and its absolutely my honor to be able to do this.

I work for a company that makes two drugs for MS patients and Im on the "front lines" talking to them everyday on the phone. I love doing the ride each year because I actually get to get out there and not only speak to them, face to face, but also participate in the bike ride to support them and let them know Im fighting with them and FOR them.

Your (and everyone's) contribution means so much more than youll ever know. Its not just a monetary donation, its a symbol of hope and support to those who struggle with this disease everyday.

THANK YOU ALL and wish me luck this weekend

MS is tied in closely to the personal lives of my wife and myself, so we appreciate what you're doing out there more than you'll know. Keep up the fight!

Speedrye wrote:

MS is tied in closely to the personal lives of my wife and myself, so we appreciate what you're doing out there more than you'll know. Keep up the fight!

Its an honor to ride for you guys and the cause as a whole. Ill pedal until I feel like collapsing... then Ill pedal some more

Well, the ride is over and I must say, it went well. I ride 30 miles Saturday and another 30 on Sunday. The weather held out for me but others werent as lucky. About an hour after I finished on Saturday, the skies opened up and New Bern got slammed with incredible rain and wind. Those riding 75 and 100 miles were still out there and school buses had to come get them do to all the thunder and lightning.

Sunday's ride was great and even though the skies were virtually black, not a single rain drop fell. I refused to get caught in the rain and finished 20 minutes faster than the day before. lol.

The ride had over 2000 riders this year and raised just under $1.3 million and funds are still coming in. My team (Biogen Idec) raised $42,000. Not bad!

Here are just a few shots I took here and there. Thanks again for all your support!!!

That is awesome! I didn't realize the event was that large... Congrats to you and your team for raising so much money for such a good cause.

Speedrye wrote:

That is awesome! I didn't realize the event was that large... Congrats to you and your team for raising so much money for such a good cause.

Yeah, its a pretty huge event! Hey, PM me your address... theres something I want to send you.