MDA Gets Another Boost From Relentless Bikers
August 21, 2005
Miami Valley bikers are relentless in their fight to help find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy.
For 25 years, motorcyclists have gathered together to make the MC for MD ride the areas
largest fundraiser for the MDA.
The location and route changes each year and this years event was held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. One of my favorite parts of this route is going down Nicholas Road, just before we reach Gettysburg. There are always tons of kids lined up along the
street waving at us with big smiles on their faces. It's the perfect time to put your
parade waves to use and make sure the horn works on your bike!
This 55 mile ride with over 300 bikes is not for the faint of heart. At times the bikes probably stretch out close to two miles, but quickly get bunched back up when making turns. The constant slowing down and speeding up can test the skills of the most experienced rider. You must constantly be paying attention to what's going on way ahead of you, right ahead of you and right behind you. This ride as a passenger always wore me out but as a rider this year, I was even more tired.
Yes, it's work but it is nothing compared to what someone with Muscular Dystrophy has to deal with.
MC for MD 2005
335 motorcycles
500+ participants
55 miles
$40,000+ raised
If someone had asked me yesterday "What is Muscular Dystrophy?", I could only have said that
it's a disease that affects the muscles. That is all I knew, along with a mental image of
a child in a wheelchair. One of the benefits of running this website, is that I get to
learn something new each time I write an article covering a charity event and pass it
along to you.
Knowing why you are participating in an event can add a tremendous amount of pleasure to
your experience. Next year, just about the time you start complaining about your butt being
sore, remember what MD is, smile because you are helping out and just keep plugging along.
What is Muscular Dystrophy?
Muscular Dystrophy is a hereditary disorder that weakens muscles over time. Our bodies
produce a certain type of protein that is necessary for healthy muscles. If the genes that
are responsible for that protein contain the wrong or missing information, then muscular
dystrophy can raise it's ugly head.
There are over thirty different
disease types of MD. They each have
their own characteristics and severity, ranging from slight muscle weakness to death.
The most common and severe type of muscular dystrophy is called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Boys are almost exclusively affected and it starts to show between the ages of two and five. Children rarely survive this disease past their early twenties.
There is no known cure for this disease and the whole reason why we must keep riding to raise money. If you did not particpate in Sunday's ride, please
send a donation to the MDA thru their website or contact the local MDA office at 937-296-1160.
More pictures of this event can be found in the biker pics gallery.
If you see someone that you know in these pictures, please let them know their picture is here as I did not tell everyone that I would be putting their picture on the website.
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Related Links
National website with tons of information concerning MD and the MDA.
Health Care Service Coordinator
You may also contact the local MDA office at 937-296-1160.
Artwork completed by artists who have Muscular Dystrophy.
