27th Annual BP MS 150 April 16, 2011

27th Annual BP MS 150
April 16 – 17, 2011

WHO & WHAT
The 27th Annual BP MS 150 Bike Ride, Texas’ largest non-profit sporting event and the largest Bike MS ride in the nation, will take place April 16- 17, 2011. An estimated 13,000 cyclists are expected to take part in the two-day, 180-mile trek from Houston to Austin. This year, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Lone Star aims to raise $17 million to support multiple sclerosis (MS) research and fund programs and services benefiting an estimated 20,000 people affected by MS in 174 Texas counties.

Registration is available at www.ms150.org. The 2011 registration fee is $100, and a minimum pledge of $400 is required for participation. Individuals, families and groups are also encouraged to volunteer for the more than 3,000 positions in Houston, Austin and along the route. Log on to www.ms150.org to volunteer or donate online.

WHEN
Saturday and Sunday, April 16 - 17, 2011

WHERE
The ride will begin in Houston on Saturday, April 16 and finish in downtown Austin near the State Capitol on Sunday, April 17, following an overnight celebration at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in La Grange. Cyclists have the option to start at one of three starting points:

Tully Stadium Rhodes Stadium Waller Stadium
1050 Dairy Ashford St. Katy High School Waller High School
Houston, TX, 77079 1733 Katy Fort Bend Rd., Katy, TX 20735 Stokes Rd., Waller, TX

On day two, riders can choose one of two routes out of La Grange as they make their way to Austin.

WHY
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. 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 at least two to three times more women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. In 2009 alone, through its national office and 50-state network, the Society devoted over $132 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested nearly $36 million to support 375 research projects around the world. The National MS Society: Lone Star serves more than 56,000 Texans affected by MS with offices in Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Midland and San Antonio. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at jointhemovementLoneStar.org.

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867.