Bikers will mount up to ride for Bike MS on September 10-11. Rev. Herbert Lester, Jr., senior pastor at Clark Memorial UMC, will return to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. to ride in Bike MS of the Mid South Chapter’s Rock-N-Roll Ride on September 10.“Great news! I’ve signed up for Bike MS, an unforgettable ride to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the important work they are doing to create a world free of MS,” said Rev. Lester.
Riders will participate in many states as this year marks the 31st anniversary of Bike MS. Since that time, more than $1 billion has been raised for research and programs to improve the lives of people living with MS. Today, there are treatments where there weren’t any before. The dream of ending MS will eventually become a reality.
“That’s why I’m riding,” said Rev. Lester. “My daughter and I have participated many times.”
This experience is said to be “grounded in camaraderie and marked by passion, inspiration, determination and pure enjoyment.” With each pedal stoke, riders will be helping to reach the overall goal—a world free of MS.
“I’m so inspired each year when I ride in Bike MS. The ‘I Ride with MS’ program makes me feel so special and supported. I get high-fives and encouragement from people I don’t even know. I am so proud to be participating in this wonderful event and raising funds for such an important cause,” said Tauna, a rider diagnosed with MS in 2004.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, which 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 than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide.
With an overall goal of $300,000, donating what you can can support Lester’s personal goal. It’s fast and easy to make a tax-deductible donation on his Personal Bike MS page, www.BikeMS.org (find individual, Herbert Lester); or call him at the church office at (615) 329-4464.
