Episode 11: This week we talk with Amanda L. Payne, the Developmental Director for Walk MS. Walk MS is one of the two main fundraising organizations for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The second one is the Texas MS150. Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., has been privileged to be a part of Walk MS Houston and the Texas MS 150 in several capacities from entering teams, sponsoring teams, and sponsoring tents and booths at the events.
The National MS Society
The National MS Society was born from a sister’s love in 1946 after Sylvia Lawry, whose brother Bernard suffered from MS, identified a desperate need for an organized effort to “encourage and finance research into the cause, treatment, and cure of multiple sclerosis.” Today, the National MS Society has funded more breakthroughs in the treatment and understanding of MS than has been accomplished in any other neurological disease.
The website also provides a connection for people living with MS to the resources and tools needed to live their best life. You can research doctors who treat MS as well as publications that provide valuable information about identifying, treating, and coping with MS.
Walk MS Houston and Walk MS The Woodlands
The Walk MS events are localized fundraiser walks to raise money for research and to raise awareness of MS. Volunteers to help with the walk are always welcome. Teams are needed to sign up to participate in the walk. Corporate sponsors are also needed to sponsor everything from individual tents and stations up to the entire event. Sponsorship levels range from $2,000-$25,000. There is a Walk MS Houston and a Walk MS The Woodlands that take place around the greater Houston area which occur in March.
Texas MS 150
The Texas MS 150 is a bike ride that is an annual event that starts in Austin and goes to a campsite in La Grange for the biggest Bike Ride Party event in the United States. The Ride continues the next day to the finish line in College Station. (Riders may also choose to ride directly to La Grange from their homes.) Volunteers to assist at the water and food tents and other stations are needed as well as corporate sponsors.
Contact Information
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society can be contacted at the following: 1050 N. Post Oak Rd. Ste. 240 Houston, TX 77055 1-800-344-4867 www.nationalMSsociety.org
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