Isuzu MS 150 Bike Tour Celebrates Record-Breaking Participation

11 April 2000

Isuzu MS 150 Bike Tour Celebrates Record-Breaking Participation; 7,000 Cyclists Will Pedal from Houston to Austin on April 15th to Raise Funds for Multiple Sclerosis

    HOUSTON--(BW SportsWire)--April 10, 2000--Kicking off the Isuzu MS 150 Bike Tour on Saturday, April 15, 2000 will be more than 7,000 enthusiastic cyclists along with The Lone Star Chapter of The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Houston Area Isuzu Dealers and The Home Depot. This year's tour is slated to be the largest in the event's exciting 16-year history. The Houston ride represents the largest MS 150 in the nation and the city's largest nonprofit sporting event.
    The Houston-to-Austin bike tour will take riders along the beautiful Texas Hill Country on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, precisely when the wildflowers are in brightest bloom and the lush grasses at their most brilliant green. Commencing at sunrise, the starting line at Tully Stadium in Houston (I-10 and Dairy Ashford -- Tully Stadium) will lead riders to La Grange for an overnight stay and then to the Austin finish line at Applied Materials (off Highway 290).
    Unlike many fund-raising events, the MS 150 attracts participants of all ages, from diverse backgrounds and with varying ties to the event. Riders run the gamut, ranging in age from six to 82 and participating at all levels of physical condition and cycling experience. Many cyclists participate to support their friends and loved ones who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Others participate as members of corporate-sponsored teams, and many cyclists participate on an individual basis.
    From small, colorful bikes with playful streamers for the fun-loving young cyclists, to highly sophisticated, finely engineered bicycles for the most serious riders, the 180-mile ride will be sprinkled with a diverse array of bikers with a collective mission: to raise money to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. The 2000 Isuzu MS 150 Bike Tour is expected to break all past fund-raising records. The 1999 event raised a record-level $2.4 million, and event coordinators are aiming to raise in excess of $2.5 million this year.
    The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. This society is the largest private funder of MS research and it spends a greater percentage of dollars on direct services than any other health organization primarily serving adults. The Lone Star Chapter, chartered in 1955, serves more than 8,500 individuals in 109 counties who are affected by multiple sclerosis. All funds are privately raised and 83 cents of every dollar are used to benefit people affected by multiple sclerosis.
    On-line Registration and Pledges: http://www.ms150.org