Prosek Powers Through Rockefeller Center to Fight MS
Last Sunday a great group of Prosekians participated in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2015 Climb to The Top event and raised nearly $2,500 for the fight against MS. This entailed me, Amy Fathers, and Brittany Mullings, climbing the top of Rockefeller Center (that's 66 flights of very steep stairs) while Courtney Bowers, Ashley Frost, Josey Robinson and Tara Tyson participated as volunteers.
The Prosek runners finished in around 20 minutes, which placed us just above the middle of the pack of 1500 runners—right in the meaty part of the curve, not showing off, but not falling behind. In addition to having an excellent time together while getting a great workout in, Team Prosek was able to raise the aforementioned considerable sum of money, which made us the 14th highest corporate fund raiser! The money we raised is enough to do a lot for those facing MS, including:
- Pay for 48 canes to improve the walking ability of people living with MS; or
- Enable 32 families to receive counseling when a loved one has just been diagnosed with MS; or
- Fund 28 visits from occupational therapists to evaluate the safety of the homes of people living with MS; or
- Buy 24 walkers to assist people living with MS that have difficulty walking; or
- Pay for 16 trips to the doctor for someone living with MS who has no other means of transportation
Also, it's important to realize that these donations were part of the $917,185.50 the event has raised through March 3 (donations are still accepted through March 31). This in turn goes towards the National MS Society's great work, which includes:
- The Society invested $50 million for MS research in 2014.
- Funding commitments have been made to support 83 new research and training projects worldwide, all with the goal of providing people affected by MS with the solutions they need to live their best lives.
- With funding from the Society and others, a global consortium identified 48 new MS risk genes that better define the biological pathways leading to MS and may ultimately lead to ways to prevent the disease and enhance the design of better treatment.
A wonderful time was had by everyone who came out and we're looking forward to doing it again next year with even more Prosekians in attendance. 