A Cambridge man with MS plans to walk 50 miles
My name is Marsha Clark and I was raised in Cambridge. I graduated in 2006 and my younger brother, Sean, graduated in 2007 from Cambridge High School. From kindergarten through senior year my family was grateful to live in a small town. While I was in junior high, my dad, Mike, served on the village board.
This summer, May 30 - June 1, my dad and I will be participating in the Multiple Sclerosis Challenge Walk. We have accepted the challenge to walk 50 miles in 3 days. For those who do not know, my father was diagnosed with MS in January of 2001.
Since then, my brother and I have gone through high school and graduated—my brother continuing on to the Marine Corps and me continuing on to college at Monmouth College. My dad has since had to leave the work force because of MS. This, however, has given him more time to spend in Cambridge. Like he did when my brother and I were still in school, he attended all of the sporting events for Cambridge. Now he is even taking pictures for the Cambridge Chronicle and for various activities at the schools. He loves being involved in the community that my brother and I were raised.
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease.
Both my father and I would like to extend an invitation to you, the members and the businesses of the community, to help us with our challenge. We have set a goal of $3,000 for our team and are currently fundraising to achieve it. A pledge form is available on our team website. Your donation is tax deductible and you will receive an official acknowledgement from the National MS Society if your gift is $50 or more. Please make your check payable to the National MS Society. You can also visit our team page and make a donation online at: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/teamjoestrider.
On the website you can also find out more information about MS and the Challenge Walk.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about the Challenge Walk or to make a contribution over the phone. We appreciate your support and we will keep you up to date on the event!
Marsha Clark, Moline