Sep 30, 2009
The Iron Maidens Rock The 2009 MS Motorcycle Ride
Sean O'Leary, Communications Specialist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Iron Maidens Rock The 2009 MS Motorcycle Ride
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. – The engines revved, the tires hit pavement and the Iron Maidens and The Band of Brothers roared through the 2009 MS Motorcycle Ride as the event’s top fundraisers.
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| The Iron Maidens and The Band of Brothers team poses at the team’s Biker Barbeque fundraiser at Whole Foods, Glastonbury. The team, which raised $9,318, was named the top MS Motorcycle Ride fundraising team. From left to right: Brenda Martin, Bristol; Amy Calandriccio, Whole Foods of Glastonbury; Melissa Person, Manchester; Karen Stanford, Farmington; team captain Karen Butler, Manchester; co-captain Sue Petruzzi, West Hartford; Betsy Welch, Little Falls, N.J.; Diane Freer, West Hartford; and Lydia Ashford, Manchester. |
This year’s top individual fundraiser was Manchester resident Karen Butler, captain of the Iron Maidens and The Band of Brothers fundraising team. Butler was also the top individual fundraiser in both 2007 and 2008 and to date she has raised nearly $4,000 for the 2009 MS Motorcycle Ride – $10,000 over three years.
Iron Maidens team member and United Kingdom resident living in West Hartford Diane Freer, who raised $2,075, was the ride’s second highest fundraiser. Farmington resident and teacher with the Berlin public school system Karen Stanford, also a member of the Iron Maidens, raised $735.
Throughout the summer, the Iron Maidens team held fundraisers across the state to boost their total. The team hosted its second annual Iron Maidens HOG Wild Pig Roast at City Sports Grille in Bristol in June, the Iron Maiden Biker Barbeque at Whole Foods in Glastonbury in July and the Iron Maidens Summer Social at Peppercorn’s Grill in Hartford in July.
Their efforts resulted in the Iron Maidens once again taking the top spot as the number one fundraising team in the state for the 2009 MS Motorcycle Ride. In 2008, the Iron Maidens and The Band of Brothers raised more than $8,000 as the top fundraising team – a total that almost tripled their fundraising amount in 2007. This year, the team once again upped the ante with a fundraising total of $9,318 – $21,318 over three years.
“The Iron Maidens would like to thank everyone, from our dedicated team members to those who came out for our events to those who donated,” said Butler. “We could not have experienced success without their help. We are very proud to once again be recognized as the top fundraising team in the state.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents are affected by multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
Funds raised by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, through events such as the MS Motorcycle Ride, ensure ongoing scientific research to find better treatments and a cure, as well as to provide vital programs and services offered by the chapter to those in the state living with multiple sclerosis.
The 9th annual ride started and finished at the Cadillac Ranch in Southington. It was the second consecutive year at the Cadillac Ranch and bikers enjoyed a scenic 50-mile route through the Connecticut countryside.
The 2010 MS Motorcycle Ride will return to the Cadillac Ranch on Sunday, July 25, 2010, and Outback Steakhouse will again provide lunch. For more information on the 2010 MS Motorcycle Ride, please contact Stephanie Gaudette, development coordinator for the Connecticut Chapter, at 860-913-2550, ext. 252, or e-mail sgaudette@ctfightsMS.org.
To learn more about MS, its effects and the many ways the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter assists those living with MS, please visit www.ctfightsMS.org.
9/30/09
Sean O'Leary
Communications Specialist
National MS Society - Connecticut Chapter
659 Tower Avenue, First Floor
Hartford, CT 06112
tel 860.913.2550, ext. 249
soleary@ctfightsMS.org
www.ctfightsMS.org