Hundreds to pull jet to help in fight against MS

WARWICK – For the second year in a row, hundreds of volunteers are expected to gather at T.F. Green Airport on Sept. 20 to pull a Boeing 727 jet from Federal Express across the tarmac to raise awareness and money for the fight against multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis is an often-disabling disease of the central nervous system. It interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body, resulting in symptoms ranging from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 3,000 Rhode Islanders, 400,000 people nationwide and 2.5 million worldwide.
The MS Jet Pull, sponsored by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, starts at 10 a.m. Teams of 20 with names such as “Fasten Your Seatbelts” and “Super Heroes in Training” will test their strength pulling the 160,000-pound jet throughout the day.
Prizes will be awarded in different categories, and there will be a barbecue, a climbing wall and other activities. Sponsors include Teva Neuroscience, Serono, Starbucks, InsureMyTrip.com and The Paradise Shops.
Spectators are welcome; the fee is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12; children under 3 are admitted for free.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the R.I. Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and support direct services for the people with MS and their families in Rhode Island, as well as national MS research to fund a cure for the disease.
For more information, visit www.msjetpull.com.

No posts to display