Marathon for Multiple Sclerosis
Fundraiser Raises Thousands
By Kwig Jordan
Staff Writer
A group of Pomona and Scripps students has been raising money
for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society while preparing
to run the Los Angeles marathon on Sunday, March 2. Pomona
seniors Kwig Jordan (team captain), Rebecca Crootof, Becky
Ford, Seth Mazow, Erin Mohr, Sara Yanowitz, freshman Dan Kleinman,
and Scripps' Jessica Cahan have been helping by raising money,
running, or both. The team has amassed $3,995 for the MS Society,
and is gearing up for the marathon. The team is running, not
only for those suffering from the effects of multiple sclerosis,
but also for those working to find a cure. Discovering new
medications requires just as much courage and determination
as running a marathon.
Training for a marathon can be a big commitment, and the team
members have banded together to support each other and help
everyone confidently arrive at the starting line on March
2. If you are up early enough in the morning, you will see
Ford running all over campus with a look of grit and determination
on her face. Don't mess with her, she means business. Kleinman
and Jordan have been running together semi-regularly and,
along with the others who will complete 26.2 mile run, are
preparing for the big day.
"In my mind, the psychological preparation is at least
as important as the physical. If you are young and healthy,
your body probably won't break from trying to run 26 miles.
Your brain will keep telling you that you are crazy, though,
even if you prepare by walking and jogging for long distances
prior to the day of the marathon," declares Seth Mazow.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the central
nervous system currently affecting roughly 3 million people
in the United States alone. MS is an autoimmune disease in
which, for unknown reasons, the body's immune system attacks
the myelin sheath that insulates neurons. When these attacks
occur, myelin degenerates and the nervous system cannot transmit
signals as efficiently. Since the nervous system is intimately
linked to virtually everything we do in life, MS can cause
a variety of disabilities and discomforts depending on the
area of the nervous system where the myelin has degenerated.
In addition to physical problems, MS can be psychologically
devastating as the disease will often remit for months, only
to relapse once a person's life seems to have stabilized.
This disease is highly variable. Some people go years without
an episodic relapse, while, sadly, others steadily decline.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been helping MS
patients and their families for over half a century by providing
research funding, support in the form of organized, nationwide
chapters and access to educational information and the latest
research, as well as advocacy in Washington D.C. to help ensure
future government spending on MS research and support. Each
year people from all over the country participate in events
such as the LA Marathon, or the various MS Society 50 kilometer
walks and 150 kilometer bike races to inspire people to make
donations that help support things like biomedical research
and educational programs. Look for an update on your marathon
running peers next month when the marathon and fundraiser
reach their decisive conclusion.
For more information, or to contribute to the team, visit
the Pomona team's website:
http://give.chariteam.com/chariteam/group/groupPageView.jsp?b=MS&P=MSMS03&e=MSMSLA3&group_id=1875
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