Cyclists Gear Up for The Dam Ride

A Bike MS Training Ride May 6-7 sponsored by Alabama Power

The following news release is published on behalf of Bike MS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Pemberton

Marketing and Communications Manager

Birmingham, Ala. — Cyclists seeking a unique challenge are invited to join the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Alabama Power ‘Power Pedalers’ team for The Dam Ride, an inaugural training ride for Bike MS.

Friday, cyclists will ride 75 miles from Alabama Power Headquarters downtown to the Lay Dam before spending the night in the Dam house. After the ride, cyclists can enjoy boat rides, corn hole, bon fires and an Italian dinner. Saturday, cyclists can choose from three ride options: a 35 mile loop to Mitchell Dam, a 75 mile route back to Birmingham or both. The National MS Society will provide support and gear vehicles along all route options as well as all meals.

“We want to thank Alabama Power and the Power Pedalers for making this possible,” said Jennifer Ely, Director of Development for the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of the National MS Society. “This is going to be an incredible experience for our cyclists to ride through some of Alabama’s most beautiful areas and such a fun way to get ready for Bike MS.”

The Dam Ride is a training ride to prepare cyclists for the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter’s three Bike MS events: Bike MS: Rocket to the Shoals (June 4-5 in Athens, Ala.), Bike MS: Tour de Beach (Sept. 17-18 in Orange Beach, Ala.) and Bike MS: Mississippi 150 (Oct. 8-9 along the Natchez Trace). There is no cost for cyclists registered for any Bike MS event to participate in the Dam Ride.

Bike MS, hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is the premier fundraising cycling series in the U.S. for anyone seeking a personal challenge and a world free of multiple sclerosis. All participants have access to bike mechanics, support vehicles, rest stops, a finish line celebration and much more.

The largest fundraising cycling series in the country, Bike MS includes people living with MS, their friends, families and neighbors, as well as corporate teams and individuals who are driven to support critical research and life-changing services to help people with MS live their best lives.

To learn more about Bike MS or to register for any of the Chapter’s rides, visit www.bikeMS.org.

WHEN: Friday, May 6 and Saturday May

WHERE: The ride will begin at 9 a.m. Friday at the Alabama Power Headquarters

PARTICIPATION/ VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION: call 205-879-8546 or email Jennifer.Ely@nmss.org.

WHY: Cyclists will train in preparation for the Chapter’s three Bike MS events.

HASHTAGS: #bikeMS and #DontJustRide

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts 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 leading to better understanding and 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 than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million worldwide.

About the National MS Society

The Society mobilizes people and resources so that everyone affected by multiple sclerosis can live their best lives as we stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost and end MS forever.

To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. Last year alone, through our comprehensive nationwide network, the Society devoted $122.2 million to help more than one million individuals connect to the people, information and resources they need. To move closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $54 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world.

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.

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