Cox is a rider in the 2009 MS Bike Tour, the largest fundraiser for the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event will take place September 12 and 13 in New Bern.
Cox said that just five years ago, he knew very little about the disease, but he's now learned there are several people in his circle of friends that deal with it every day.
"As I've seen them struggle with the challenges MS causes, it's driven me to do what I can to help. Each year I meet more and more folks that inspire me to keep pedaling and find out more and more people I know have been diagnosed with MS," he said.
He admits that riding 150 miles on a bike is quite a challenge, but also stated that it's nothing compared to living with MS.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.
New treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.
But more money is needed for research. The Society utilizes funds collected from the annual MS Bike Tour to not only support research for a cure tomorrow, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS today. Research shows that more than 4,500 people in our area are living with the devastating disease.
"I'm riding the MS Bike Tour because I want to do something for the people who have been diagnosed and because I want to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease," said Cox. "Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability."
Over 2,000 cyclists participated in Bike MS 2008. Collectively they raised $1.5 million towards the cure for MS. This year’s goal is to raise $1.7 million with 2,500 participants.
"I have friends that have dealt with MS for 20 plus years and friends that have been diagnosed since last year's ride," said Cox. "The list is getting longer than I ever would have imagined and I want to help them all. My good friend Mary Caudle has been dealing with this for the last five or six years and she's one of the main reasons I'm committed to doing what I can to end MS!"
In addition to Cox's efforts, on September 15, from 4 until 9:30 P.M., the Fuquay-Varina Jersey Mike's donate 15 percent of the net proceeds of your order back to the National MS Society. When you order, be sure to mention eating a sub to help support research for a multiple sclerosis cure.
Interested in joining Cox's team? Visit his Web site for additional information or to donate to this cause at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=2129723&pg=personal&fr_id=10800. You can also send donations made payable to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to John Cox, 7008 Apple Lane, Holly Springs, NC 27540.
"Because we can fight this disease by simply riding a bike, because we have chosen to help thousands of people through a contribution to the MS Bike Tour, we are now getting closer to the hour when no one will have to hear the words, 'You have MS,'" said Cox. " Please help me help my friends and all the folks who don't have a finish line 150 miles away.
"I'll help pedal closer to a cure."
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