Released on: June 23, 2008, 11:09 am

Press Release Author: Cindy Stranad

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: The Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society announced the 2008 Walk MS raised $787,837 for programs, services,
advocacy and research for people living with MS in the Triangle and eastern North
Carolina.

Press Release Body: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National MS Society Raises More Than $787,500 Through Walk MS
Funds Support MS Programs in the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 23, 2008) - The Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society announced the 2008 Walk MS raised $787,837. The May 3
Triangle event attracted more than 4,000 supporters and participants to the RBC
Center. Monies raised from the 19th annual Walk MS event will help the nearly 4,300
people living with multiple sclerosis in eastern North Carolina. Sixty percent of
all the funds raised will go toward programs, services and advocacy for people
living with MS in the Triangle and eastern North Carolina, and 40 percent supports
national research to find the cause and cure of MS.

"The turnout of supporters was fantastic," said Bethany Coggins, special events
manager for the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society. "We appreciate the efforts of everyone who worked so hard to make the event
a success. We exceeded last year's total by more than $56,000."

Raleigh resident Lenora Josey, a first-time walk participant, was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis in January of 2008. In recent months, Josey has been an active
member of the National MS Society. She participated in the longest walk route - 5.5
miles, and raised $1,700 in donations.

"It's an awesome event to see people come together for a cause," said Josey. "This
organization has been a tremendous help to me. The people are so polite and nice and
helpful. I thank God for the staff and all their time and concern for us."

Registration for Walk MS 2009 opens October 1, 2008. For more information, visit
http://walknct.nationalmssociety.org or call 1-800 FIGHT MS.

About Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and
stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly
diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous
system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The
progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be
predicted but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world
free of MS. 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 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society:
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it
doesn't. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Each year,
through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devote approximately
$125 million to programs and services that enhance more than one million lives to
move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2007, the Society invested more than $46
million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want
to do something about MS NOW. If you or someone you know has MS, please contact the
National MS Society today at www.nationalmssociety.org or 1-800 FIGHT MS to learn
about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one
day reveal a cure.

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Web Site: http://www.walknct.nationalmssociety.org

Contact Details: National MS Society
3101 Industrial Drive, Suite 210
Raleigh, NC 27609

Media Contact:
Cindy Stranad
(919) 232-5008
Cindy@articulon.com