Sep 23, 2009
Chapter volunteers inducted into Society Hall of Fame
New York, NY – Each year, chapters nominate local volunteers for their outstanding service to the National MS Society and review panels from around the country are charged with selecting the final honorees. The chapter is thrilled to announce four of its dedicated volunteers have been inducted to the Society’s Volunteer Hall of Fame; click here for information on all of the Society's honorees.
Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award – Dorothy Cooper
Dorothy Cooper, much like Sylvia Lawry, was a visionary. In the early 1970’s Burt and Dorothy Cooper along with Oscar and Marion Dystel decided to expand the Westchester chapter when their respective children were diagnosed with MS. They co-founded the Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society, which covered the Hudson Valley, to educate and help serve the MS community in Westchester and its surrounding counties.
Dorothy is a woman of many accomplishments. While she has been a resident of Westchester County for more than 50 years, she spent many of those years commuting to her art studio in Manhattan where she refined her craft. Her sculptures can be found in many private collections today.
To this day, she continues to support the efforts of the chapter. She is a lifetime trustee on the board. Her stature in the community has engaged many others to join our movement. Dorothy's daughter, Lisa Brettschneider, is following in her mother's footsteps and serves on the Women on the Move committee.
Fundraising Volunteer Hall of Fame - James Donaghy
James Donaghy, chairman of Structure Tone, a worldwide construction services leader and one of the industry’s top ranked firms, has put his heart and soul into raising awareness and critical funds for the chapter since 1999. It is a family affair as Jim’s mother lives with MS and Jim and several of the Donaghy brothers work tirelessly throughout the year in an effort to move us closer to a world free of MS.
Health Professionals Hall of Fame - Aliza Ben-Zacharia, MSN, ANP-BC
As an MS-certified nurse practitioner, Aliza has provided an extraordinary example of clinical and educational leadership by winning two volunteer recognition awards, contributing to multiple Society educational publications, and presenting keynote talks at numerous nurse and patient education programs. As an MS nurse leader, Aliza has mentored three nurses through the Janet Pearce and Dystel Nurse Fellowship programs.
Programs and Services Hall of Fame – Susan West
For the past 21 years, Susan has been a committed partner with the chapter, available for community outreach and public education. She has given her time selflessly as a peer counselor, self help group leader and support group peer co-leader. Her generosity of spirit, positive attitude and common sense has been an invaluable resource to the many lives of people living with MS she has touched.
About the New York City Chapter
The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society is committed to helping the thousands of New Yorkers impacted by MS continue moving their lives forward. The chapter raises funds locally to support the Society’s critical research initiatives and to provide hundreds of comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their family and friends. Visit www.MSnyc.org for more information.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National MS Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. In 2008 alone, the Society invested over $50 million to support 444 research projects around the world. Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
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