Mo usually uses his blog either to share ill-informed and often off-base opinions about sports, or to make fun of people. Today however, while enjoying a day off, he's turned it over to Rich Walburg, Communications Manager for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, who blogs about a great event benefitting a phenomenal cause.
Mo returns, both online and on air, tomorrow....
Thanks to Mo for allowing me the opportunity of this guest blog. Mo and I worked together for more than 10 years at Clear Channel. In April of 2011, I left 700WLW to become the Communications Manager at the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National MS Society.
Today, I am exploiting Mo’s platform to share some MS stories. Thanks for reading – and please check out my personal blog from time-to-time, www.WorldWideWalburg.com .
-Rich Walburg
Sunday evening, I found myself watching ABC’s Secret Millionaire. It’s a lot like that Undercover Boss show. The difference is rather than the wealthy businessperson going undercover at his/her own company, he or she goes undercover at not-for-profit and/or volunteer run organizations.
It’s one of those Sunday night shows designed to make you cry – a ’la, “MOVE THAT BUS!”
At the conclusion of the show, the Millionaire gave $105,000 of his own money to 3 volunteer organizations. It was amazing how many lives were made better with just $100 grand. I say just $100 grand – because we all know people who earn that much in one year. In the grand scheme – it’s just $100,000.
As the credits zoomed by, I thought about the organization for which I work, and how many lives our work touches. It’s easy to lose sight of that end goal. My day usually consists of facebook posts, email blasts, event registration numbers, and fundraising totals. It’s easy to forget that those fundraising dollars are going to provide services for people in this area living with MS. That money may find the cause and the cure for Multiple Sclerosis.
You may have heard about MS lately, because Jack Osbourne (son of Ozzy) was recently diagnosed.
Here’s a brief video explaining this unpredictable disease:
Here are some quick facts about MS:
- Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although people as young as 2 and as old as 75 have developed it.
- At least two to three times as many women as men are diagnosed with the disease, and there are an estimated eight to ten thousand children under the age of 18 who live with MS.
- MS occurs in most ethnic groups but more commonly among Caucasians of northern European ancestry (aka – 700WLW’s audience).
- In all parts of the world, MS is more frequently observed at northern latitudes farther from the equator and less frequently observed in areas closer to the equator (a great excuse to move to Cabo).
Earlier this year, I met the Cincinnati woman pictured above. Her name is Bari Thornberry, and she is living with MS.
When Bari was 19, she took a trip with her boyfriend (now husband) to Las Vegas. While on the vacation, Bari noticed a tingling in her thumb. She jokes that it was not caused by pulling the slot machine lever too often. By the time she returned home, half of her body was completely numb.
Soon after she returned, Bari was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. To walk, she required a cane or a walker.
In her fight to become a mother, Bari’s doctor recommended a diet and fitness regimen. It worked. Bari gave birth to twins, and the symptoms of her MS began to fade away. She is currently able to walk without assistance, and has become a fitness and spinning instructor.
Bari is not cured. There is no cure. However, her prescription therapies work with her diet/fitness plan to keep MS at bay. She likes to pretend that she doesn’t have MS – but she does.
You may not think you have a connection to MS – but you likely do.
While Bari is a strong, courageous woman, her husband is truly the hero, right? He married Bari despite an uncertain future. This ranks somewhere just below Joseph’s acceptance of Mary even though she became pregnant with the Son of God. Seriously, can you imagine that conversation?
Back to Bari.
She is participating in Muckruckus MS this weekend, and is hosting a Friday (6/29) fundraiser for her team at the Harper’s Point location of Orange Leaf – America’s Frozen Yogurt. For every purchase made, 10% will benefit Bari’s Muckruckus MS team, the National MS Society, and the 6,000 people locally living with MS.
So…what’s a Muckruckus?
- Muckruckus MS is NOT just for Navy Seals. It's a challenge for the family (ages 12 and up) Click here to see images of the, "Little Muckers," Course (for supervised children 11 and under only)
- Muckruckus MS is the only event of its kind hosted by, and solely benefitting a charity - the National MS Society
- You will slosh, slip, and slide through the muck in a 5k or 10k obstacle course
- Click here to see images of a few of the 30+ obstacles
- Muckruckus MS is this Saturday, June 30th at Fulton Farms in Troy, Ohio (20 miles from Dayton, 70 miles from Cincinnati and Columbus)
- Funds raised benefit the 6,000 people affected by MS in this area, and funds critical MS research around the world.
Check out this video:
Today (June 27) is the last day to register online for Muckruckus MS. Please do!
(this photo contains a hylerlink)
For Mo’s readers the registration fee is just $20 when you use the code dirty2012 (all lower case, all one word). Students get $10 registration with the code student2012.
You may also register at the event site this Saturday for $75.
Thanks to Mo, and all the media members who have been so supportive of the National MS Society, and Muckruckus MS. I’ll share the following interview from WDTN, because Nathalie Basha is prettier than Mo.
Click here to see the segment from Living Dayton.
