A sweaty Bruce Lowery, on his tricycle, was welcomed with cheers yesterday afternoon as he arrived at the finish line of the 2008 Bike MS: Ride Virginia.
The 56-year-old Fredericksburg man, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, was among more than 1,100 bikers taking the challenge this weekend to raise funds for and awareness of the disease.
"I am a mess, man," Lowery said with a smile, shortly after completing the two-day race in front of the state Capitol on Bank Street.
He and Team Bruce -- a group of about 10 of Lowery's friends and relatives -- and many other bikers rode 150 miles, starting Saturday morning from Richmond to Williamsburg and back to Richmond yesterday. Other bikers rode shorter races.
Team Bruce raised more than $7,000, organizers said.
Lowery has been participating in the event for years and although he is physically challenged, he enthusiastically continues riding for the cause, said his wife, Pam Lowery.
His fundraising friends and relatives keep him strong, she said.
"They are just amazing people. That's part of what enables us to fight the battle of MS and get through the everyday struggle of MS," she said.
Sherri Ellis, president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Central Virginia Chapter, which organized the event, said the event's main goal is to bring attention to the chronic disease of the central nervous system, which affects about 400,000 Americans.
This weekend's bikers helped raised nearly $500,000 that will help fund research and programs, Ellis said. She said MS can be traumatic because it can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, memory and concentration problems, and paralysis.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers several programs, including support groups for people with the disease.
In the weekend race, the youngest participant was 6 and the oldest was 72, Ellis said. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, biked Saturday from Richmond to Williamsburg.
Darma Bennett of Woodbridge raised $12,000 and rode in honor of her brother and cousin, who have the disease.
"It's easier to ride those 150 miles than it is to live with MS, I think," Bennett said.
Pam Lowery said Team Bruce wants to bring attention to the disease but also find a cure.
"We will ride until there's a cure," she said.
Contact Luz Lazo at (804) 649-6058 or llazo@timesdispatch.com. To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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