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Bike MS Is The Largest Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser In Colorado

By Libby Smith

Bike MS is a 2-day ride from Westminster to Fort Collins on June 24th & 25th . It's the largest fundraiser for the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. CBS4 is a proud sponsor of the ride, for event information and registration go to nationalmssociety.org.

WESTMINSTER, Colo (CBS4) – Bike MS is the National MS Society's largest fundraising event in Colorado, and offers something for every level of bike rider. The two-day event kicks off at Front Range Community College in Westminster and winds up the Front Range to end at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Participants stay the night in Fort Collins and then ride back to Westminster the next day.

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"Bike MS is really for anyone who is committed to improving the lives of people living with MS, and I say that because we've created lots of options for people, so whether you're an elite cyclist or a recreational cyclist, we have lots of options," said Carrie Nolan, the president of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society.

Options include a one-day 30 mile ride; and then there are three two-day routes, one is the 68 mile Express route, another is the 81 mile Classic Route, and the third is the 103 mile Century. Each offers challenges in elevation and length. Bike MS raises nearly $4 million for the National MS Society.

LINK: Bike MS Registration

"Bike MS is an amazing event with lots of support and so we do have a registration fee, and depending on when you decide to register the fee keeps going up, so the sooner you register the cheaper it will be. And, then there is a $400 (fundraising) minimum that is expected of all of our riders," Nolan explained.

Bike MS attracts about 3,000 riders every year. Each is required to raise at least $400, but many of the teams and individual riders raise much more than that.

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"We ride with about 3,000 riders, and the average is over $1,000 per rider, and that means some people are raising $400 and some people are raising $100,000," Nolan said.

The money raised from Bike MS goes to invest into research and into resources for people living with multiple sclerosis. The National MS Society maintains a research portfolio of about 350 multi-year research projects around the world.


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"The National MS Society is committed to finding the cure for MS. And we look at it in three different ways. We're looking to stop progression, we're looking to restore function, and we're looking to end MS forever," Nolan said.

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If you don't feel up to the ride, the event needs hundreds of volunteers to work at the dozens of rest stops along the route, and support the huge celebration that happens in Fort Collins.

"We need volunteers. The success of Bike MS does not happen without at least 600 volunteers, so I implore our community to come forward. We love groups. A company might want to do this as a team building opportunity," Nolan told CBS4.

Cyclists, who've done Bike MS, call it one of the best supported rides in Colorado. That's one of the reasons participants come back year, after year, after year.

"Along the routes there are rest stops every 10 to 12 miles. Then when you get to Fort Collins, you can either stay in a dorm, or stay in a hotel. And then come back the next day, we provide meals, we provide medical, we provide support, we provide mechanics," Nolan said.

"Bike MS is also a ride for people living with MS, and we have a program called 'I Ride With MS.' Everyone gets a special jersey, but more important we provide some nutritional and training tips for people so that they're capable of riding with MS," Nolan explained.

Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.

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