MS Society National Convention

As Carrie mentioned in her post, I was in Chicago last week for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2008 National Conference. As team captain for the Capella Cruisers MS 150 bike team (http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/CapellaCruisers), I was invited to attend the Team Captains' Rally. The theme for the conference was "Be bold, be imaginative, be collaborative" and the event was truly motivational.

There were break-out sessions specifically designed for the team captains regarding recruitment, fund raising, and the total team experience. These sessions provided useful tools and thought-provoking ideas that will help our team in 2009. The inspirational part of the conference, though, came from the general sessions. The general sessions presented musicians, authors, scientists, and others who have stories to tell related to MS or along the theme of the conferences.

Jourdan Urbach - a protege who has been playing violin since he was less than three years old, an author, a research scientist, founder of Children Helping Children, and a gifted speaker, who advocates getting kids involved in volunteerism and philanthropy. Did I mention that he is only 17?

Malcolm Gladwell - author of "The Tipping Point" and "Blink." He related stories of being bold, using imagination, and collaborating with others to achieve success.

Dr. Stephen Hauser, MD - updated the attendees on the work being done to find genomes related to MS, all too detailed and technical for me to remember let alone write about here. Suffice it to say that they are getting close to finding the needles in the haystack and they hope to have individualized treatments by 2013.

Dr. Dora L Hughes - health science advisor for senator and now president-elect Obama. She developed MS while in medical school but went on to get her MD and Masters in Public Health. She promises that people with MS will have a friend in the White House.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=485
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=486