1. 11NATIONALMSSOCIETY.ORG/CAL | 1-800-344-4867
You’ve heard it before – Bike MS is the journey
of a lifetime with challenging, yet exciting routes.
Taking on 100 miles is quite the accomplishment
for anyone. But there’s one Bike MS: Vegas rider
whohasloggedover16,500milesfortheNational
MS Society in the past 27 years.
It all happened by chance in 1989. Mark Beck
stopped at a gas station in the desert to fuel up and
came across a Bike MS flyer promoting the ride
from Las Vegas to the London
Bridge. “I had just bought a bike
and thought this would validate
the purchase,” he said. The first
few months were not as easy as
he expected. “I rode my first ten
miles and was very sore. A co-
worker who also rode told me to
just stay on the bike. So, I did and
eventually it felt right.”
So who would ride across the
United States without having a
personal connection to a cause?
Mark is about to embark on his
third cross country ride and over
the years has raised $50,000 for
the National MS Society! “When
I started, I had no idea what MS was about. I was
riding for my health until the Society connected
me to a past marathon runner who went blind
due to MS. For a few years, I rode for her. Then
I started realizing that people I knew personally
wereaffectedbyMS.Infact,oneofmyoldfriends
from high school was diagnosed,” added Mark.
Because this is his third ride across the county,
Mark knows it will get uncomfortable along the
way. He also knows that he will get through it and
to him, that’s how he earns the support he has
received. “I may not personally know the majority
of my donors, but their donations show how many
people are affected by MS and hoping for a cure.”
Mark has a history of cancer but fortunately is
now in good health. “There’s no cure for MS yet,
but we have research and we have
hope.I’mamazedandinspiredby
the people I’ve met through Bike
MS who’ve been affected by this
disease; they are my motivation
for riding.”
You can follow Mark’s journey by
visiting www.BeckTreks4MS.
com.You can also help raise funds
and awareness by participating in
Bike MS: Vegas on September 24,
2016. The ride can be tough but
to put it in perspective, the longest
route is less than five percent of
the route Mark Beck is traveling
this summer. You’ve got this!
Apprehensive about fundraising? Mark has some
advice: “Don’t be afraid to ask for donations –
become known as a Bike MS rider so that you
become associated with the ride and people just
know.”Take the first step to becoming a Bike MS
rider by visiting bikemsvegas.org and registering
for the event. Q
BIKE MS
MARKTREKS4MS