Loved your piece on Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride. The amount raised was a bit off. To date it is $1.5 million. Thought you may like this press release the NMSS sent out today. Thanks for writing about the event and hope you come out again.

24th Annual Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride Comes to a Successful Close

Salt Lake City [June 28] – There was applause and cheers of gratitude Sunday as the last cyclists finished the 24th Annual Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Utah State Chapter. The final group of riders pedaled into the Fidelity Village at the Cache Valley Fairgrounds in Logan, Utah, at 3:30 p.m. bringing the annual program to a close. Bike MS is the largest two-day organized cycling event in the state and raises awareness and funds to create a world free of MS.

“This weekend we saw many bicyclists challenge themselves and go the distance to better the lives of those dealing with MS every day,” said Utah State Chapter President Annette Royle. "The determination and the generous hearts of all the riders, the sponsors, the volunteers, the many supporters and the Logan community contributed to one of our most successful Bike MS events.

“To date, Bike MS has raised $1.5 million, however, we are not yet at our goal of $1.6 million and hope to close the gap in the coming month. The funds raised from this event are critical to the Society’s ability to provide programs and services for Utahns in the coming year and also fund important research in the quest for a cure.”

The nearly 3,000 bicyclist came from all over Utah and across the country to ride the 40, 75 and 100-mile routes the first day with the option of riding up to 175-miles over the course of the weekend. The reasons people rode were as plentiful as the many colorful bike jerseys seen at the event.

“I know there are people who can’t bike because of MS,” said Ogden’s Kent Packer who was diagnosed three years ago and shared his story with the crowd Saturday evening. “Bike MS gives me the opportunity to give back because I can still bike. So, while I am physically able to, I ride for those that can’t. It also is my way of thanking the Society as my family and I have personally benefitted from the first rate services and we want to make sure others get the assistance they need as well.”

Bob and Randy Harmon of the famed family-owned grocery store chain, Harmons, and title sponsor of Bike MS rallied riders at the start line early Saturday morning and a were a festive part of the evening presentations and awards emceed by Debbie Worthen, weather anchor of KUTV Ch. 2, and Steve Harmon, KODJ’s Harmon & The Breakfast Club morning radio show host.

“We all play a critical role in the search for a cure and collectively we are making a huge and positive impact as it really does take a village to support and care for one another,” said Bob Harmon. “It has been a great joy to be a part of Bike MS for over a decade. It is a fun and healthy event that is helping to make a difference in the lives of many.”

Participants have until the end of July to finish their fundraising appeals and reach the $1.6 million goal.

Plans already are underway for the 25th Annual Bike MS on June 25-26, 2011. Cyclist can take advantage of the early bird rate of $20.11 at www.bikeMSutah.org.

Bike MS is the largest organized cycling event in America with 100 rides in 48 states. Over 100,000 cyclists participate nationwide, raising over $82 million. Over the past 23 years, Utah’s Bike MS has seen over 28,000 cyclists and raised over $10.4 million.

Bike MS 2010 was proudly supported by Harmons – Your Neighborhood Grocer, KODJ 94.1 and Harmon and the Breakfast Club, KUTV, Salt Lake Magazine, Bingham Cyclery, Fidelity Investments, Powerade, Blackbottoms Cyclewear, Fed-Ex, BadAss Coffee, University Guest House Conference Center, Specialized, Pure Protein, EMD Serono, Tour of Utah, Larry H. Miller Dealerships, Utah Commercial Contractors, Inc., , Hunt Electric, Inc., Harmony Home Healthcare, and Teva Neuroscience.

About Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and over 2.1 million worldwide. Utah has one of the highest incident rates in the country with 1 in 300 diagnosed with MS.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Utah State Chapter MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. In 2009 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted over $132 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested nearly $36 million to support 375 research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867).

Local programs, services and event information also can be found at the Utah State Chapter’s site curemsutah.org as well as on Facebook (nmssutah, Bike MS Utah, Walk MS Utah) and Twitter (walkMSutah or bikeMSutah). Join the movement today.