CACHE VALLEY, Utah – Thousands of cyclists will ride 175 miles over two days in order to help in the fight against multiple sclerosis, or MS.
Bike MS hosts hundreds of rides across the nation. This event begins in Cache Valley, then riders go west into farmlands and then turn North toward the Idaho border before turning around and coming back.
Bob Harmon of Harmon’s Grocery Stores participated in the event. His wife suffers from MS.
“My wife was diagnosed 12 years ago, prior to that we were doing some things with MS and it’s just one of those things that comes along and your wife gets diagnosed,” he said.
MS is more common than some might think. Becky Lyttle, National MS Society, said one in 300 people live with MS.
“It's disease of the central nervous system,” Lyttle said. “It attacks the coating of the nerves and the brain and the spinal column, and, depending on where you get these attacks on your nerves, it can affect you in various ways. It could be your vision. It could be your ability to move. It could be cognitive. It could be fatigue. It could be a variety of symptoms.”
The ride raises funds to research a cure for the disease, and the ride also provides funds for local assistance.
“To help people that are affected by MS and/or their families, that could be information or referrals, it could be financial assistance, because obviously it can affect you severely financially, or it could be scholarships or just education outreach,” Lyttle said.
The ride is one of the largest fundraisers in the state, and it raises about $1.6 million for MS programs. The ride is June 29 and 30. Participants must register online with the Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter of the National MS Society to participate.
