The Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society presented leadership awards to Blanche and Larry Dean of Durham at the 2009 Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 24 in Raleigh. The couple received MOVE (Medal of Valor in Excellence for Leadership) awards for exceptional leadership and service to the Chapter.

Blanche and Larry Dean have set an example as Movement Ambassadors. This dynamic duo have been vital participants in the Bike MS: Historic New Bern Ride event as cyclists, volunteers, team captains, and committee members for over 13 years.

In their many years of service, Blanche and Larry have engaged significant volunteers, donors and companies in the Society's mission. Blanche lives with multiple sclerosis.

The awards were given at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2009 Education Conference and 40th Annual Meeting. The conference, themed "My Life, My MS, My Decisions," provided programs and resources for participants to become better educated about the disease.

About Multiple Sclerosis:

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and 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:

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn't. The Eastern North Carolina Chapter, located in Raleigh, serves the over 4,900 individuals affected by MS in our 49-county area. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Each year, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devote approximately $125 million to programs and services that enhance more than one million lives to move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2008 alone, the Society devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. The Society also invested nearly $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. If you or someone you know has MS, please contact the National MS Society today at www.nationalMSsociety.org/nct or 1-800 FIGHT MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.

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Related Links

1. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NCT/index.aspx