InstantNewsKaty.com

Cyclists are gearing up for the 26^th Annual BP MS 150 benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Lone Star and, once again this year, the three Houston-area starting points will all be in the Katy area.

RIDING FOR A CURE – Cyclists make their way through downtown La Grange headed to Austin during last year’s BP MS 150. This year’s ride will take place April 17-18.

This year’s ride will be April 17 – 18 and will begin at sunrise at Rhodes Stadium in Katy; Omni Houston Hotel Westside, 13210 Katy Freeway and Waller High School Stadium, 20735 Stokes Rd. in Waller.

Day one will take riders to La Grange for an overnight stay. On day two, riders can choose one of two routes out of La Grange as they make their way to finish at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. 

The National MS Society: Lone Star has set a record-setting fundraising goal of $18 million this year. Funds will be used to support research, programs and services benefitting an estimated 20,000 people affected by multiple sclerosis in 174 Texas counties.

Regional Executive Vice President Mark Neagli called the annual ride “a unifying force” in the fight to find a cure for MS.

“The passion shared by cyclists, sponsors and volunteers alike is a significant component to the success of this event year after year. The BP MS 150 is a unifying force that connects all involved with the thousands of people who live with MS every day,” Neagli said. “We’ve seen cyclists join the ride with fitness as the primary motivator, only to be transformed into some of our most avid supporters. It’s a powerful movement that compels people to take action.”

The BP MS 150 is Texas’ largest nonprofit sporting event and the largest MS bike ride in the nation. An estimated 13,000 cyclists are expected to take part in the 180-mile trek.

Registration is available at www.ms150.org.

In addition to riders, individuals, families and groups are being encouraged to volunteer for the more than 3,000 support positions in Houston, Austin and along the route.

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.

Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women as men being diagnosed with the disease.  MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million worldwide.