Evesham will again be part of this year’s Bike MS: City to Shore Ride on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 and 28.
The annual two-day excursion is the largest fundraiser for the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which supports local individuals diagnosed with the condition and funds research around the world.
According to the society, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and potentially disabling disease that affects the central nervous system by disrupting the flow of information within the brain and from the brain to the body. Symptoms vary unpredictably from person to person and can include clinical pain; paralysis; fatigue; vision problems; muscle weakness; and difficulty walking, among others.
The disease typically strikes people between the ages of 20 and 40. Nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with the condition, according to the society.
“It’s a very unpredictable disease,” explained Don Elsas, a 20-year volunteer with the society who spoke about the City to Shore Ride at last month’s Evesham council meeting. “It can be one thing one day, one thing another day, and it affects people very differently.”
The ride is 75 miles long from Cherry Hill, through Evesham, to its last stop in Ocean City.
Last year’s ride achieved its goal of $4.5 million with the help of 4,500 cyclists and about 1,000 volunteers. Elsas noted that the 2025 goal for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Delaware Valley chapter is $4.7 million. He cited township police for keeping bike riders safe and guiding them quickly through Evesham.
“I apologize in advance for any inconvenience,” he noted. “which is hopefully minor, when we have about 4,500 cyclists on the road. We will start in Cherry Hill and get through Evesham Township pretty quickly on Saturday morning. The (Evesham) police department has been wonderful in the past and I’m sure they’ll continue to be so as far as getting us quickly along the route.
“(Prior to the ride), we hand out a letter to every house along the route, we do newspaper advertising and (issue) early-warning signs two weeks prior to the ride.”
Elsas then presented a plaque of appreciation to the township at the council meeting acknowledging its years of support for the fundraiser.
“Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience in helping us fulfill our mission to get to a world free of MS.”
To learn more about this year’s Bike MS: City to Shore ride, visit www.nationalmssociety.org
