This year’s ride is set for Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 and will once again involve roads in the southern edge of town.
People pass through Evesham Township every day on their way to work or to see friends and family, but next week the township’s going to get about 7,000 additional visitors for few hours during this year’s Bike MS: City to Shore Ride on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.
The annual Bike MS: City to Shore Ride is the largest fundraiser for the local Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which supports those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis locally and funds research on the disease around the world.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and potentially disabling disease that affects the central nervous system of the human body by disrupting the flow of information within the brain and the flow of information from the brain to the body.
Symptoms of the disease vary unpredictably from person to person, and can include clinical pain, paralysis, fatigue, spasticity, vision problems, muscle weakness, numbness or tingling, difficulties walking and more.
“It’s a very unpredictable disease. It can be one thing one day, one thing another, and it affects people very differently,” said Don Elsas, a volunteer with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society who spoke about this year’s City to Shore Ride at this week’s Evesham Township Council meeting.
Of those diagnosed with the disease, Elsas said most are between the ages of 20 and 50, with about two to three times as many women diagnosed with the disease than men.
“It’s a very prime of life disease. It really strikes people in their prime years,” Elsas said.
According to Elsas, the City to Shore ride is the second-largest Bike MS event in the country, with last year’s City to Shore ride raising about $6 million dollars through 7,000 rides and about 1,200 volunteers.
Elsas said the $6 million represents more than half of the local chapter’s fundraising for the year. Overall, Elsas said less than 16 percent of funds go toward charity administrative costs, with more than 40 percent of the remaining money used to directly support those with multiple sclerosis locally and the rest spent on multiple sclerosis research.
“You always hear about this, that some charities don’t spend a lot of money on the charity, but we’re very proud of having a very low amount that has to actually go to administrative expenses,” Elsas said.
For this year’s ride, cyclists will once again begin their day in Cherry Hill and ride along 80 miles of scenic roadways in the southern half of the state until reaching the final destination of Ocean City.
In Evesham specifically, riders will cross into town in the morning from Voorhees along Kresson Road to Braddock Mill Road and Kettle Run Road, heading to Sycamore Avenue and Cooper Road, then using Hopewell Road and Kettle Run Road again to head into Atco.
Elsas thanked the township and residents for their support, and he specifically noted the work of the Evesham Township Police Department for being responsive and proactive to help direct rides and patrol the bike route during the event.
Elsas said volunteers have also been working to hand out letters to all residences along the route to help them prepare for the ride.
Those looking to learn more about this year’s Bike MS: City to Shore ride can visit www.bikems.org.
