This trip is a journey for all, including me. But more than that, this trip is a piece of hope for others. There are 2.5 million people in the world who are living with Multiple Sclerosis. This chronic disease damages a person's nerves in the brain, spinal cord, or optic nerves. Depending on where the damage takes place, people living with MS deal with complications controlling their muscles, balancing, speaking, and seeing. More than half of people with MS experience optic neuritis. This occurs when the optic nerve becomes inflamed, which causes blurred vision, loss of color vision, eye pain, or blindness in one or both eyes.
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The main focuses of Bike the US for MS is to help fund research for a cure or help the people currently living with Multiple Sclerosis. Research is a key part of MS organizations, because the root cause of the disease still remains a mystery. Doctors are finding trends that imply it is partially due to a lack of vitamin D , while some say it is related to genetics and geogkination. Nobody can predict who will be diagnosed with MS, but it is twice as common in women than it is with men and it typically occurs between the ages of 20 and 50.
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For those living with MS, there are many tasks that are made harder to do. Some of these tasks include taking a shower, going to the bathroom, cleaning, going up/down stairs, or travelling. Bike the US for MS is more than awareness and raising money. As a rider, I will be giving my all to help these people who are not as lucky as I am. During our trip, we will stop in towns across the country to volunteer for MS patients. These projects include yard makeovers, cleaning, painting, or anything else that may be difficult for people living with MS.
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I understand that it is hard to donate for some people. I have talked to many people who are waiting for pay day or can just support me with their words, but I urge you to try your best to donate what you can. Half of the money I will be raising will go straight to the research to find a cure for MS. The other half of the money helps to fund the trip and pay for things needed to help the people across the country who are living with MS. If everyone reading this donated even 5 or 10 dollars, it would make such a tremendous impact on lives of others who do not have the luxuries that many of us have.
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To dig into a little bit of the emotion that I have for this cause (and hopefully rub some off on you), I would like to tell you what is motivating me through my training and fundraising. I have always been blessed with athleticism, and I have always had loving parents who helped support me monetarily. It wasn't until last year that I realized that I did nothing to deserve what I was inherently born with. I was given these two gifts mostly from luck. There are people out there in the world who deal with actual hardships. I then asked myself, "why was I given these blessings while other people who might be more deserving get the misfortunes?" I knew I had to use my gift for people who could use it more than me. When I train and think about my aches and pains, I imagine what it would be like to do even the simplest of tasks with some of the complications that are associated with MS. Fundraising is easy in this situation. I couldn't think of a better way to spend money than to spend it on the people who could use some of my luck. There are two people I know that are affected by a relative having MS. Hearing about the love the people with MS have for everyone and their personalities, I was reminded of myself. They did not deserve the troubles they face, so please help me to make life a little easier for them.
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These donations are going to people who need it, so please take 2 minutes of your day to help me to make a positive difference in their lives with your donations.
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Donate online at:
http://www.biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656
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Or mail a check to:
Bike the US for MS
PO Box 10001
Blacksburg, VA 24062
The checks can be written out to Bike the US for MS with Zachary Wasielewski in the memo line. Once the check is received, the donation will be posted on my cyclist page above.
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Thank you and God bless.
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Donate online at:
http://www.biketheusforms.org/cyclists/detail.asp?cid=656
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Or mail a check to:
Bike the US for MS
PO Box 10001
Blacksburg, VA 24062
The checks can be written out to Bike the US for MS with Zachary Wasielewski in the memo line. Once the check is received, the donation will be posted on my cyclist page above.
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Thank you and God bless.
