FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New London and Groton Communities Prepare To Lace Up & Step Out For An 11th Year!

NEW LONDON, Conn. More than 6,000 Connecticut residents battle the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) daily. In a show of support, each year, hundreds of loved ones, friends, neighbors and co-workers throughout New London and surrounding communities, including Norwich and Groton, lace up and step out in solidarity for a single cause to end the devastating effects of MS.

Mitchell College will, for the first time, host the Travelers MS Walk, presented by UnitedHealth Group, on Sunday, April 22. Check-in and registration begin at 8 a.m., and participants will step out at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided by Subway and Coca-Cola.

For the previous nine years, the MS Walk site was located in Groton, Conn., and has now moved to New London.

Last year, despite pouring rain, more than 300 Groton and New London residents exchanged sneakers for goulashes and sunglasses for umbrellas to step out to find a cure. Groton and New London participants helped to raise more than $86,000 toward the 2006 $1 million goal.

“Each year, New London and Groton area residents come out in large numbers to demonstrate support for those in their community battling multiple sclerosis,” said Karen E. Butler, National MS Society, Greater Connecticut Chapter vice president. “Our New London walk site planning committee members do an exceptional job rallying the troops, bringing people together from all walks of life in a single effort to raise funds to find a cure.” 

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown, and, as a result, there currently is no cure. Symptoms can include, among other things, numbness and tingling in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness and, in some severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted. More than 6,000 individuals statewide, including more than 400 residing in New London County, live with the baffling and unpredictable effects of multiple sclerosis. More than 400,000 Americans nationwide are diagnosed with MS.

The National MS Society, Greater Connecticut Chapter expects the 2007 Travelers MS Walk, presented by UnitedHealth Group, to raise more than $1.3 million. Last year, the MS Walk raised approximately $1 million. Additional partners stepping out in support include: Biogen Idec, St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center and Wal-Mart. For more information or to register, please call (860) 714-WALK. To learn more, listen to 96.5 TIC and 97.7 WCTY Country favorites or watch WTNH News Channel 8 and My TV 9 and local Comcast channels.

3/29/07

NOTE TO MEDIA
For More Information
Contact Melissa Saranitzky
Communications Coordinator
Phone: 860.714.2300, ext. 239
E-mail: msaranitzky@ctfightsMS.org