400-plus wet cyclists raise money for MS
BY DEON HAMPTON World Staff Writer
Sunday, September 14, 2008
9/14/08 at 3:05 AM
PRYOR — Even in rainy weather, more than 400 cyclists participated in a bike ride Saturday to raise money and bring awareness for multiple sclerosis.
The first leg of the annual two-day MS150 fundraiser started at SouthCrest Hospital and ended at Pryor Recreation Center.
As the 80-mile ride rolled into town, things got a bit slippery, riders said.
"It was bad towards the end," said Jim Ryan of Tulsa. "It was just enough to get wet."
Ryan, who rides with team Wind River Mortgage, said he has participated in the event three times.
Rod Plaster of Tulsa also said the rain was tough to deal with. "I was real soaked," he said.
Plaster has participated in the ride for the past 10 years.
Riders roomed at hotels and the recreation facility. They are expected to arrive back at SouthCrest on Sunday afternoon.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, according to www.nationalmssociety.org.
Symptoms may include numbness in the limbs, paralysis or loss of vision.
Symptoms of the disease are unpredictable and vary from one person to another, the Web site states.
Deon Hampton 581-8413
deon.hampton@tulsaworld.com
