The MS Walk 08 was a huge success and You all are the reason for why we were able to achieve such goals! Thank you so very much for ALL that you did!







Our Team, im1...fightingMS...ru2...had the most members represented at the Waldorf, Maryland, site on Saturday, April 12, 2008, and we should all be very, very proud of that achievement! Further, we rose over $1,575 by the start of the WALK with still money coming in and more to be counted! The final tally will not be closed until June so stay posted on our total over the next couple of months.





For all our walkers and online donors you have all accomplished so much for the MS work and people suffering with MS! With all the excitement and fanfare of the WALK and build-up of Teams competing for "biggest Team" and Most donations" and "best posters" it can sometimes seem that we are getting lost in the meaning of what we are really trying to do. Let me assure you we are not. In all the excitement we never lose focus that what we are doing is primarily raising money for seeking money for finding a cure to this terrible disease. So, all your efforts and hard work HAS been worth it and highly beneficial and truly gone toward a great cause!




I want to personally thank all of you who have contributed to this WALK with your time, effort, donations, prayers, words and combination of all. Some of you have recently have had a baby, are cancer survivors and suffer the effects but still made the WALK without hesitation, are older and have other ailments that are affecting you but still made the effort to be there for us. Some people I have not seen or heard from in over 10 years! Some people gave donations during times that I know are tough times on most of us! I would like you all to know that I am very honored by every single person that gave, showed up, wrote, or even emailed me.



This year the WALK was for some reason very hard (physically), more than years past. But I just knew that I had to complete the whole WALK. I had no idea that so many of you (maybe all of you, I have no idea, I was way too tired to notice anything!), would actually be waiting at the end and I was so happy that the RAIN waited too!




The success of the WALK this year will go a long way and you all have done a marvelous job yet again.


Look for more post in the next few days where I will have the entire slid-show of our pictures at my web-site (not the blog site, my actual web-site). So, if anyone has any more pictures send them to me so I can incorporate them into the format and remove any red-eye or any other action necessary that might be necessary.

Thank you all and God Bless You.

Rick, Beverly, Ryan & Bailee

MS Walk 08 - This is IT! Great Job!

If yesterday was the 7th inning stretch than today is without any question the 9th inning and Papelbon is on the mound for our Team; im1...fightingms...ru2! And when J.P. is throwing in the 9th that means only one thing for the home team; we’re winning!

As of Friday afternoon we have 32 registered Team Members for tomorrow’s Walk and $1,525 in total donations and that does not include two checks I have which I will be turning in tomorrow with me when I check in @ 9 a.m. (hint, hint!).

This is all very good news for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and every person depending on events such as this for continued research, continued care, medicine, out-patience treatment and services, job training and so much more! And each one of you have had a hand in making it all possible and deserve a huge round of congratulations and cheers and thanks!

So when we say “we are winning” it is to that end; that we strengthen the resources available to someday finding a cure to a disease that is to-date incurable and devastating to over 400,000 people nationwide.

I would be remiss without mentioning that it is with great pleasure I say Happy Anniversary to my beautiful and wonderful bride of now 17 years. The day after this Walk will be our 17th wedding anniversary and Beverly is the most remarkable woman God has ever blessed a man with.

Beverly has engaged in constant support and when necessary battle, day in and day out, relentlessly dealing with everything this new life has thrown at us and simply tackled it one issue after another. She has truly been the foundation holding the structure together and has never blinked. And never cried; for herself. She is incredible and I love her.

Thank you for allowing me that moment.

Final words for the Walk; remember to register online ahead of time if at all possible so we are all ready tomorrow morning and able to minimize on admin stuff and have plenty of time for Team pictures. Please try to be at Wade elementary by 9:15 -9:30 a.m. by the latest. Contact me @ rick@im1ru2.com if you have any questions or need any other assistance whatsoever. Any last minute donations please bring them with you and you can check them in at the Walk in the morning. People CAN register at the WALK tomorrow morning if you know someone at the last minute who would like to show up! And of course, registration is FREE!

Dress for the weather! It is still forecast to rain and be very windy and cool.

God Bless you all and see you at the WALK!

MS WALK 08 - 7th Inning Stretch!

Thursday Afternoon and the sun has made an appearance now for two consecutive days! Things are starting to look up! Tomorrow is promising to look even better! But Saturday... Well, lets just say, we'll all hope the weather-people keep up their (non) winning ways of late and that their forecast for Saturday's rain and wind is as off as last Saturday's forecast!

Our team numbers have indeed improved as have our donations and you all have done an outstanding job. Everyone, please if you are sitting, stand-up and take a bow! Thank you all very, very much! Group hug - there, how was that? Good.

Now, just as a reminder, for Saturday morning everyone coming out for the WALK should plan to be there between 9:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. for a team picture. IF I am correct and memory serves me correctly, our team is scheduled to lead the WALK this year because of our incredible numbers last year also! So, that means we really can't be straggling behind and dragging in late or the "powers-to-be" will simply slip in the team ready-to-go in our stead! So lets not let a little shut eye get in the way of all you have achieved, you deserve this so be proud!

The Maryland Chapter will be awarding prizes this year at the WALK for the team with the best, craziest, loudest Team T-shirts, wacky posters or just best posters, biggest posters, makes the most hoopla, etc. You get the point I think. Although we have not organized anything as a team (oops, that was me I am sure!)if any of you are compelled to do so (posters or the like) feel free and whatever the society is giving out - congratulations! But for now, I am content to continue my efforts with increasing our team membership and donations to the MS cause!

So, in that light, I would like to end today's update with a big congratulation to everyone on a great job thus far and ask that after our seventh inning stretch that you please continue to reach out to whomever else you can for the next day and a half for team members and last minute donations!

Please have folks register online at the MS site: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/im1rickru2 and continue to check the blog (here) for any last minute updates; http://mswalk07waldorf.blogspot.com

Thanks again everyone and God Bless and enjoy our splendid rays of sunshine!

Rick,

MS WALK 08 - Team IM1...FIGHTINGMS...RU2...Status

Team!

It is Wednesday morning; traditionally this day of the week is referred to as "over the hump" day, "middle of the week blues" or after today "two more days until the weekend" day!

Well for our team, IM1...FIGHTINGMS...RU2, Walking in the annual MS walk this Saturday, April 12, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Wade elementary school in Waldorf, Maryland, with FREE registration at 9 a.m., this Wednesday does bring some anxiety for us with just three short days left before our all important gathering!

This morning, very, very early as I woke even ahead of schedule to prepare for my usual day of what many of you would probably consider mundane and routine lists of "things to do", I first went to my email and our MS team site to check our status for donations and team members. The following is our progress report to date;

We have 16 team members and $1,025 total donations on record. Folks that is outstanding and I am once again very humbled and extremely proud and thankful. I don't mind telling you all that my first reaction was prayer - and a big, big smile! I am not sure pride is supposed to go hand in hand with prayer of thanks but I just could not help myself!

Now the next challenge! (Did you think we were through?!) Right now, the Waldorf teams registered for Saturday so far have two that are in front of us in terms of number of registered Walkers. The team so far with the most number of Walkers has 29and the second place team has 18. Again, we have 16 registered (and that is of course counting on everyone that is registered showing up!).

I would like to see if we could get a real good push today and tomorrow to see if we could get another 25 people registered online for the Walk. Let’s see if we can do this. I have asked Ryan to do an announcement @ his school and perhaps we may get some high school Walkers - I am crossing my fingers!

I am still holding out on the donations that we will at least reach last years numbers (we raised $2,000 last year by the end of the fund raising cycle, which ended at the conclusion of April) and have three checks in hand that were mailed to me and will be mailing in to NMSS this morning. (The three checks total $150).

So it looks as if this Wednesday or over the hump day, middle of the week day, or two more days until the weekend day is really a crucial day for us and living up to its mantra!

Thank you all for you hard work, your constant push for this cause (remember, the big picture here is MS and all the people suffering - if that ever gets lost, please do re-visit the National MS site at www.NMSS.org) and for just even considering the suffering of someone else worth a little bit of our time!

As an aside, I would like to belatedly congratulate Shawn and Pam on the birth of their newest child, a baby boy Gage Allen, born March 19, 2008! Gracie is now a big sister and Pam who for the past two years, including this year while taking care of new baby Gage, is one of my biggest helpers here in the Southern Maryland area! Congratulations Pam, Shawn and Gracie and Thank you Pam for all you hard work again this year!

MS Walk 08 Update - Lets Have Another Walk

It is Tuesday afternoon and the home opener for the Boston Red Sox! It is hard to believe, but to make it to Fenway for their first game of the 08' season; they have already played games in three different countries! Folks, we are talking about baseball here! And, it is only April 8 for Yaz sakes!

Oh, and another thing! Right now, it appears the weather in Boston is at least sunnier than it is here in Maryland! I can not remember a more gloomy Spring! Talk about blah weather! We are having blah weather to beat all blah weather!

And my body feels it!

Every once in awhile I see folks wishing Spring back to our world walking or running throughout neighborhoods, along streets, riding bikes and wearing those shinny, bright jogging, running or ridding suits. But it just has not lasted long or stayed consistent yet this Spring season. The sunshine and the weather has not remained loyal long enough to keep the motivation juices flowing for the suits to remain on the bodies long enough to keep the bodies training and off the couches!

Hopefully, everyone will dawn the walking, running, jogging or ridding suits at least for one more day this coming Saturday, April 12, 2008, as we set out for our annual MS Walk! Come rain or shine, and unfortunately it is looking like rain, we will be at the Wade elementary school in Waldorf, Maryland, with our team;
im1...fightingms...ru2. Registration begins at 9 a.m. or you can register online at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/im1rickru2 and the WALK begins at 10 a.m. Registration is FREE! So please come on out and join us and work off some of the wintery blues and dare Spring to make an appearance in that great looking workout suit you own!

If you need more information, don't hesitate to contact me, rick@im1ru2.com. Thanks in advance for your support and or consideration!


3:43 p.m.

I just received an email " donation" and would like to pass it on. This comes to me from my wife's cousin Pam, again, through email.

"I was on the phone with our friend Vinney today and he wanted to walk but he lives in Florida now. He was diagonosed with Cancer a few years ago. He is only 21. He is also handicapped (mentally challenged). He is not completely, he is just very slow and had to attend certain classes in school. He is a wonderful big hearted boy!!'

"So I told him since he couldn't donate or walk to just send you an email. I wanted to be sure you did get it."

"My THOUGHT'S AND PRAY'S are with you all of the way!! I wish I was there to walk with yall all of you EVERYONE ESLE. I will be thinking about you all of the time when I lit a candle for YOU!"



p.s. Jesus Love's YOU!!
Vinny



Thank you very, very much Vinny! And, Jesus loves you too!

Rick

Lets Have Another Walk!

On April 12th We'll Walk again!

It has been another year. One more year has passed. Some would say we have made progress in our journey to cure our disease for curing this terrible crisis - yes, crisis of Multiple Sclerosis, for which there still is no cure, but six authorized or approved drugs to manage the disease for SOME with the disease.

That is progress I guess. For years ago there were neither approved drugs nor even a diagnosis. People with MS were thought to be "crazy", have dementia, suffer from other forms of mental illnesses or have just fatigue. Even today, the average diagnosis still takes between 2-5 years to be properly diagnosed. Sometimes this is due to the person ignoring the symptoms and often this is due to the lack of medical training. Whichever the case, it leads to years of damage of the brain that some say can never be repaired. Today however, some in the medical field say that damage may be repaired over time. Help MAY be on the way.

In the meantime, those of us dealing with the disease every minute of every day, by ourselves, some fortunate to have families, some not, suffer constantly with and without approved drugs. Our bodies can only tolerate so much of certain invasions for so long before it begins to build up an immunity to even the things considered "good" for it; then those things are no longer so good for it or the side effects out-way the good. Every person is different, no two the same. You hear this all the time. Just like two children being raised in the same house by the same parents; totally different. Both good, but totally different.

Getting through each day is great, but it should not be such a big deal. Sometimes I would like to just be so normal, so just like everyone else. But it just is not going to be like that for me. I have to have my sticks with me wherever I am. Sometimes I don't go to certain places or do certain things, go around certain people because of who I am, what I am. It is just easier. I don't feel sorry for myself. I just don't care to explain myself anymore. I just don't care to be looked at anymore. I just don't won't anyone else stepping on or over me any more either. It shouldn’t be a fight, but it is. I used to fight the fight but now I know the fight is coming and I avoid the fight. It just is not worth it anymore.

Today all I want is to walk peacefully along with people who want to walk along with me - who don't care about the sticks, know about the sticks, and don't mind the sticks and everything else that come along with the sticks. MS is a disease that is life long, hurts, frustrates, drags you down and makes you tired. And it has no cure yet. So every day those of us who have this disease try very hard to live; mostly we do very well at that but sometimes we don't and we should not have to apologize for that.

But I will. For all of us who sometimes seem grumpy, tired or dumped on; we're sorry.

If you could just imagine a little bit how we struggle sometimes, every minute of every day, even when it looks like we are holding it together, you might begin to understand. Our bodies are numb, our limbs tingle, we have a lot of pain, we experience temporary memory loss, bladder problems, we have speech problems, walking problems - just to name a few of our symptoms.

Now, each person is different and there are many various levels and different types of MS. From severe to very mild. But the average person experiences the systems above, at least during a "flare-up".

Join Us and Help Us this April 12th in Waldorf, Maryland at the William B. Wade Elementary School and Let’s Have Another Walk Together. Registration begins @ 9 a.m. is FREE with the WALK starting @ 10 a.m. Of course you may always make donations if you like!

If you need any information, write me @ rick@im1ru2.com or go directly to my website @ http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/im1rickru2. If you can not attend the WALK and would like to make a donation, pleae visit my website, again, http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/im1rickru2 to make your tax free donation and to learn more about helping those of us with MS!

Thank You all for you support, love and patience. God Bless You.

MS Walk 07 Waldlorf - Thank You!

THE MS "JOIN THE MOVEMENT" WALK IN WALDORF WAS A HUGE SUCCESS THANKS TO ALL OF YOU !

On April 14, 2007, twenty four friends and family gathered in Waldorf to WALK with me and others in support of the annual MS Walk - Join the Movement!

Lots of others from out of town joined with friends and family locally to help out by sending in donations and raising their voices to our cause for research, treatment and finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Our local team members also provided our "team" with "walkers" which gave a visible presence to our voice and credibility to our sense of commitment toward our level of support and strength toward this fight of finding a cure which we terribly need and deserve.

To date our Team; "im1fightingmsru2" has raised over $2,000 toward our cause and I have all of you to THANK!

Our team's donations heard from people from Boston, New Hampshire, Spain, Japan and of course Maryland! My Mom lead the way soliciting donations online and Pam Rollins and MaryHelen championed the Team's off-line donations and "foot-soldiers" getting everyone to show up the day of the WALK

Just this week I received a letter from the Maryland Chapter that we achieved the highest level - "Elite Fleet" Status and will lead the walk at next years WALK! Congratulations to everyone - you all deserve so much for everything you did.

Of course the WALK was not about "racing" but again this year I was the last to cross the finish line. However, I do WALK across that line! And folks, that is what this WALK is for me, walking across that finish line. Although Mel did give me grief for being somewhat emotional when I saw that you all actually waited for me to get there - I must say I was pleasantly surprised by that action. It meant very, very much to see you all there when I did finally get there.

I know that everyone who gave a donation and/or who joined our team and supported us with "Walking" did so with love and kindness and for some in our family this year it came at a time of personal challenge.

I want you to know that of course I know something about personal challenge - as well does my immediate family to an extent my extended family - and I would like to say how sincerely grateful to you especially I am for your expression of support. It has not gone unnoticed by me, nor will I ever forget what you have done with what might seem a simple act of kindness. Certainly, God has bestowed extra blessings on you and your family for what you have done.

Our "get-togethers" seem to be more less frequent and our children much older (which means, gulp, we are too!) when we do see each other now. However, it is very rewarding to see that for all the "bad" in the world and what we hear going on around us and even sometimes these challenges going on in our own lives how wonderful our children are doing. Every time I see the future we have "created" I am more and more pleased with what is in store for them; because of them. We have some really, really good kids and you all, we all should be very, very proud of them. I hope we are all telling them that and how much they are loved by us. Unfortunately, our world has changed and can suck but it does seem to me that we are doing something right when I look at our kids, but we really have to stick to them and keep them close while somehow letting them "feel their oats" at the same time. A very tricky prospect indeed.

The Maryland Chapter has just concluded the Walks and should soon finish the final count(s) of all the donations sent in and still being sent in as of this blog's writing. Once I get the final tally I will update this blog to let us all know how we did - we did great - but what our actual final number raised is.

Also, at the WALK we took a "team" picture and were informed that it would be published sometime by the end of May or early June. Again, nothing yet, but as soon as I have it I will get it posted here and get a copy to everyone.

If anyone has any additional pictures or wishes to post any comments please feel free or just let me know if you need help.

I know I have said it over and over but I really feel inadequate with just my words in saying thanks for everything that you all have done, but I will try yet again;

THANK YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS!

Rick

See you next year!