Winter 2011-2012

Be an MS Activist Advocate during the 2012 General Assembly!

The Virginia General Assembly is set to begin its 2012 session and we need YOU to be an advocate for people living with MS and their families across the Commonwealth. The four Virginia Chapters of the National MS Society are hosting our annual Legislative Action Day in January 2012. Over 40 volunteers from across the state will gather in Richmond for an afternoon of legislative training and to meet with their legislators to discuss pertinent issues. This year’s event will take place January 29th-30th.

If you are interested in participating please contact Kathryn Zapach at kathryn.zapach@nmss.org.

If you are unable to travel to the General Assembly, you can still participate in Action Day from your home or office! Be an online activist by emailing your legislators, updating your social media pages and following our State Advocacy Manager on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/vaMScan). You can register for the event on the Chapter website by visiting the Calendar and clicking on Virtual Advocacy Day - January 30th.

Upon registration, you will be sent sample emails and status updates to help craft your message.

We look forward to your participation in our 2012 Legislative Action Day! If you have questions about our state advocacy work contact

Ashley Chapman, State Advocacy Manager at advocacyVA@nmss.org.

From the Chapter President...

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Board of Trustees

Gregory R. Bishop- Chairman James E. Sok - Treasurer Frank N. Cowan - Chairman Elect Suzanne L. Gardner - Secretary Matthew Austin John O’Connor Tammy Berwanger Unsong Oh, MD Jennifer L.D. Bittmann Ronald Powell, Jr. Susan Bodin Jeffrey Ruskan David Carminucci David Saunders Sharon D. Hayes Richard Schoepke Mark Householder Alan Shulman, MD Tracey Jeter Alexander H. Slaughter Ashley Johnson James VanNess Glenn Nunziata Philip J. Wallin John O’Bannon, MD Kyle Yocom Gerald Zerkin

Staff Sherri Ellis Chapter President - (804) 591-3030

Robert McKoy VP of Operations - (443) 641-1206

Judy Griffin Director of Development - (804) 591-3034

Kathryn Zapach Director of Programs & Services - (804) 591-3039

Tiffany Epley Development Manager - (804) 591-3036

Linda Pretlow Volunteer & Administrative Manager - (804) 591-3037

Jessica Ramirez Community Outreach Coordinator - (804) 591-3038

Matt Gregory Systems Administrator - (804) 591-3041

Diana Oakley Manager of Finance - (804) 591-3042

Melanie Hofe Finance Assistance - (804) 591-3031

Dear Friends, Each of us contributes to this movement to end MS in our own way. In doing so, we share a connector. We each become a champion for the cause. PJ Walin has connected to a chapter in a very unique way and is featured in this issue.

PJ just joined our board of trustees but has been a long time volunteer with our Bike MS. PJ just became a member of Golden Circle by giving a gift of stock. Golden Circle is a level recognized in our annual campaign. By making his personal donation in excess of $1,000, PJ ensures that our financial assis-tance program is funded to help those who live with MS have the necessary programs and services throughout Central Virginia Regardless of what someone can give to the MS Society ~ whether it is your time, talent, or treasure, it makes a difference. If you like helping in our walks, making thank you calls to participants and donors that support our mission, your efforts propel the movement forward. We must all do something – that is how we can get to a world free of MS faster. I hope you will be inspired to take action in your own way to help fund further research for a cure, reach out to those who are newly diagnosed, or help financially send a child to camp whose parent has MS. Let’s get together for coffee and connect the champion in you. I await your call. The Best is yet to come, Sherri

Central Virginia Chapter 4200 Innslake Dr.

Suite 301 Glen Allen, VA 23060

(804) 353-5008 www.moveVA.org

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Be sure to register for our 2012 events at www.iwalkforMS.org. If you have questions, please

contact Tiffany Epley at (804) 591-3036/ tiffany.epley@nmss.org or Judy Griffin at (804) 591-3034/

judy.griffin@nmss.org.

We’re already in full gear, preparing for our spring walk events. Walk MS: Richmond Walk MS: Fredericksburg Saturday April 21, 2012 Saturday April, 28, 2012 Innsbrook - 4200 Innslake Dr. James Monroe High School (Which happens to be in front of our offices!) 2300 Washington Ave.

Once again we want to thank our 2011 Walk MS Sponsors Sheltering Arms EMD Serono HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital NTS (Virginia, Fredericksburg and Petersburg) NOVEC Martin’s Mary Washington Health Care PermaTreat Home Solutions Care Advantage The Tappahannock Rotary Club Teva Neuroscience

Special thanks also go to the many in-kind contributors: Cici’s Pizza Wegman’s Black Finn 105.5 WRAR River Country 107.5 Star Radio Group Richmond Pet Lovers.com U Printing Crown Trophy Diamond Springs City Ice CI Imaging Our goal for 2012 increases as we continue to support and provide financial assistance, local programs and services as well as crucial research to find a cause for MS, reverse

MS symptoms and eradicate the disease. Thank you for walking!

2011 was a successful year for Walk MS! 2322 walk participants raised $300,568

This is due to everyone’s strong fundraising efforts in Richmond, Fredericksburg, Tappahannock and Petersburg.

The Central Virginia Chapter congratulates and thanks all of you for this huge success.

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The Positive Thinkers 1st Wednesday - 11:30am Prairie Grain Bread Co. Village Market Place Midlothian Leaders: Gail (804)379-5493 Claudia (804)667-6445 Hanover Group 4th Thursday - 7-8:30pm Church of the Redeemer 8275 Meadowbridge Rd. Mechanicsville, VA 23116 Leader: Dana (804)550-2280 Petersburg Day Group 2nd Thursday - 10-11:30am River View - 201 Epps St. Hopewell Leader: Melanie (804)526-9129 Petersburg Evening Group 3rd Thursday - 6-8:00pm Southside Regional Hospital 3rd Floor Classroom Leader: Quennette (434) 246-6007 (434) 731-9069

Chesterfield Day Group 3rd Wednesday - 12-1pm Johnston-Willis Hospital Board Room Leaders: Sheila (804)739-8488 Sharon (804)794-7589 Surry County Group 2nd Thursday at 11am Hope Christian Alternative (325 Banks St., Surry) Leader: Stephanie (757)267-2329 South Hill Empowerment Group 3rd Wednesday - 5:30-7:30pm Community Memorial Health Ctr (125 Buena Vista Circle) Leader: Starr (434) 378-2031 Richmond Day Group 2nd Monday - 10:15-11:30am Tuckahoe YMCA (9211 Patterson Ave.) Leader: Sherry (804)562-9181 Barbara (804)747-0298

Richmond Evening Group 2nd Thursday - 7:15-8:30pm HealthSouth - Classroom 5700 Fitzhugh Ave. Leader: Lorenzo (804)921-9712 Richmond (VA Home) For people with advanced stages of MS Every Monday - 11am 1101 Hampton St. Leader: Judy (804)359-4093 Tappahannock Neuromuscular Support 2nd Monday - 10:30am Call for location Leaders: Margaret (804)472-4781 Pat (804)443-9657 The Invincibles 3rd Tuesday - 7-8:30pm HealthSouth-Fredericksburg (300 Park Hill Drive) Leader: Belinda (540)373-4377

Group times and locations may vary, so be sure to check with

group leaders prior to attending!

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1st Annual Dinner With a Delegate This December, the Central Virginia Chapter hosted our first Dinner with a Delegate. This event allowed for MS Activists to meet local Virginia Delegates while also sharing their stories and establishing relationships with the legislators before the start of the General Assembly session in January.

Delegate Jimmie Massie, who serves the 72nd District, joined us to discuss how budget constraints have negatively impacted state programs, but affirmed that he understands concerns about budget cuts. Delegate Chris Peace, who serves the 97th District, was interested to learn about transportation issues for people with disabilities from one of his New Kent County constituents. Delegate Betsy Carr, who serves the 69th District, was also pleased to join us to learn more about MS and its impact on families.

Representatives from several other community organizations also attended this unique event, including the VCU Parkinson’s Disease Center, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. All of these organizations advocate for similar issues and it was a great show of strength for them to come together and talk to the Delegates about living with chronic illness in our communities.

The dinner was a great way to show participants that talking to your Delegate is easier than one may think – they are people too and they rely on their constituents to tell them what issues should be addressed during the General Assembly session. If a Delegate does not know that you are having trouble obtaining affordable and accessible transportation and/or housing, that you cannot afford the high costs of

prescription coinsurance, or that you rely on Medicaid for your health care needs, they will not know what laws need to be introduced to positively impact your quality of life.

If you want to learn more about getting involved as an MS Activist, see the cover story in this newsletter for more details!

We would like to extend our gratitude to all of the legislators and organizations who attended this event and helped to make it a success.

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Proud Presenting Sponsor of Walk MS: Fredericksburg & Petersburg 2011

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Benefits of Aquatic Exercise Improves overall physical function including walking, mobility, flexibility, balance and endurance. May change sensory input. The feeling of decreased weight may lead to a decrease in pain and improvement of other sensory perceptions. These changes may lead to greater ease and range of movement. Provides a social network. Aquatic groups provide opportunities for social connection and a support system to stay involved in exercise. Motivation. The positive results of aquatic exercise may also help people with MS stick with it. Improves mood. Exercise may ease depression and increase self-esteem. Water techniques may also reduce stress and promote relaxation.

For more information about the benefits of aquatic exercise visit our website at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/you-can/exercise-in-water/index.aspx

*Learn more about classes in Richmond on Page 16 in this

newsletter.

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Water Quality Benefit Buoyancy: The feeling of being lighter in the water; of floating.

• Provides support for weak limbs. • Movement takes less effort. A greater range of motion can be achieved. • Promotes muscle relaxation.

Viscosity: The sensation that there is resis-tance to your movements; that you move slower through the water.

• The resistance of water can be used to improve muscle strength. • Slower movement in water provides an opportunity to work on skills such as bal-ance and coordination which may be harder to do on land.

Hydrostatic pressure: The sensation of com-pression while the body is in the water. Pres-sure increases with depth.

• Compression can provide support for standing activities, such as walking, with less effort than on land.

Temperature control • Cooler water can help maintain lower core body temperature even during vigorous activity. This is especially helpful for people with heat sensitivity issues. 16

Water Aerobics

MS Moves is a low intensity water aerobics class offered at the Tuckahoe Family YMCA for people living with MS. The class is designed to increase mobility and maintain muscle strength by combining various water walking, stretching and resistance moves. Participants work on improving their overall physical function by enhancing flexibility, balance and endurance. MS Moves takes place in Tuckahoe’s “cool” pool where the water temperature does not exceed 84°F which reduces the risk of overheating in heat sensitive participants.

In speaking to the class’s participants, you will learn quickly that the benefits of regular exercise for people living with MS are amazing. Barbara, who has been attended regularly over the past four years, was pleased to report that her balance is much improved because of taking this class. She also called MS Moves “a wonderful class” which she strongly recommends to others.

Similar to Barbara, Phil has been taking the class for two years and has seen a decrease in his number of falls. Because the class targets specific body parts and is designed for people with MS, he has been able to regain strength and perform exercises in the water he would not be able to do on dry land.

The class’s participants are mostly people living with MS; however, the class does not exclude anyone else who wants to participate. Don’t worry if you have never been a star athlete because the class and instructors let you work at your own pace. Plus most people in the class have a first hand understanding of MS and won’t pass judgment.

Aquatic exercise offers other unique benefits to people with MS. Some of the benefits include:

A special thank you goes out to those we interviewed for this article: Barbara, Phil, Lois, Shelia, Art, Sherry, and Cindy.

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Giving Back is the Reason for the Season

At the Central Virginia Chapter, we know that the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Long lines are in every store, traffic is unavoidable, and forget trying to make a quick trip to the post office! Despite these stresses that we encounter before the holidays, even more stress can be added on families living with MS. Not all families are physically able to get out to go shopping, let alone have the budget to provide gifts for their children. This is why the chapter has reached out to community partners and asked them to sponsor some of our families in need for the holidays.

With much generosity and support, our chapter staff had the privilege of delivering over $3650 worth of donated gifts to six families in our service area! For those who have received the gifts, it was something they did not anticipate having this December, and we are grateful for the businesses and individuals who decided to give back to those in their community.

Thank you to those who donated: Staff of HealthSouth Richmond, Staff at YMCA Greater Richmond, Gareth Jones & Family, Jim Monk & Family, Central Virginia Chapter Staff, Jim Braith of Sheltering Arms, John O’Conner of Landmark Company, Frank Cowan of Cowan & Gates, Conte’s Bicycles and West Home Healthcare.

It is important to remember to discuss this or any other new exercise program with your doctor before starting to ensure you are healthy enough to participate. If your local gym does not currently offer an MS water aerobics class, inquire about getting one started. This YMCA location offers a hydraulic lift to enable those who use a wheelchair and are able to be transferred to a chair to have access to the pool.

For more information about MS Moves, contact: Tuckahoe Family YMCA, 9211 Patterson Avenue, Henrico, Virginia 23229 - Phone: (804) 740-9622 The class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:45am.

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Planner’s Corner by PJ Wallin The Giving Season

Earlier this fall my wife and I were challenged by our church pastor to give a donation to a charity this season that makes you feel a little bit uncom-fortable. Our passionate pastor went as far as saying it might even make you shake as you write that check or seal that envelope. He was right! But the feeling afterwards was worth so much more.

Although the past few years have been economically challenging for many, the needs by our local non-profits have only grown both economically and otherwise. As we enter the giv-ing season, please consider the many different ways you can make a difference to your lo-cal MS chapter.

The Gift of Connecting

Maybe this giving season a donation isn’t an option. Please don’t let that hinder your giving spirit. There are so many different ways you can help. Consider making a commitment of your time by contacting the local chapter and signing up now for a 2012 event. Better yet, make a commitment to connect others with the MS Society by getting them involved in an event as well.

Workplace Giving Does your employer participate with United Way? Similar to a 401(k) contribution, many em-ployers offer the ability to donate a portion of your paycheck to the United Way. These amounts can then be directed from the United Way to the MS Society.

Does your employer match donations? This is one of my favorite benefits employers offer. Not only does it promote giving, it also allows you to double up!

Gifts of Stock or From Your IRA A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to have received a gift of stock in a particularly popular technology company. Instead of paying taxes on the gains, we were able to gift shares to the MS Society through the simple steps located on their national website.

If you’re receiving taxable required distributions from your IRA, did you know that you can gift dollars directly to the MS Society and not pay taxes on that distribution. There are cer-tain rules to follow, but we are more than happy to help guide you.

Estate Planning

This past year the Central VA chapter received two very meaningful estate bequests. By in-cluding the MS Society in your planned giving now or as a part of your estate, the Society would like to include you as a member of the Golden Circle or the Lawry Circle. Again, we’re here to help guide you in your giving, so please feel free to contact us.

As a new member of the Board of Trustees and a member of the local financial, tax, and in-vestment advisory community, one of my goals is to share my experiences and knowledge with the MS community. I hope you enjoy this giving season!

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(804) 591-3030.

4200 Innslake Dr., Suite 301 Glen Allen, VA 23060

www.moveVA.org

We Remember As another year draws to a close, we want to honor and remember our friends and family who

have lived with the challenges of MS. Some people listed below are still facing those challenges and others are no longer with us. All of them are heroes to those around them.

Gayle McConnell Jade Harmer Brianna Smith Sara Wise Sheri T. Millikin Gladys Jiggetts Tiffany Williams-Thompson Callee Young Thomas Sordelett Jeffery Carl Porter, Sr. Judy Dellinger Trudy Martin

Betty Russell Karen Alexander Michelle Williamson Elder Dina Fonzone Julie Luke Gail Gilmore Bernice Gregory Robert Gregory Kyle Yocom Gerald Zerkin Caren Shoop William L. Rosser, Jr.

Linda Wilkinson Tracey Jeter Leslie Shelton Arnie Snuckals Dana Nelson Amanda Mallory Greta Houck Robert H. Raimo Judge Rocky Rockwell Susan Bodin Bruce Lowery Karen Raschke

~”She is my inspiration and the reason I am riding in the MS Bike Ride.” ~”The most courageous and graceful person I know!.” ~”He is an amazing person.”

~”Mother of 2 young boys and she still manages to get up and go to work every day.” ~”No matter how much adversity MS has caused in her life, her spirit is always high and she’s always full of love.”