Multiple Sclerosis, My Mom and Bike MS

***SCROLL DOWN FOR THE WINNERS!!!***

I'm going to do something here that I've never done before. I'm going to get personal, and I'll get right to it. My mom has Multiple Sclerosis. She was diagnosed when I was 16 and shortly thereafter became wheelchair-bound. She lost her ability to speak clearly, walk, drive, work, write legibly, and do many things we all take for granted. Her motor skills are very choppy, almost like that of an infant. She has lived in an assisted living facility for about 12 years, where she can feed herself, handle the remote control, and dial a phone with giant numbers. She loves listening to audio books, going on weekly shopping excursions with other residents from her facility, and watching HGTV. 

My mom doesn't have a Facebook account, she doesn't understand the concept of Twitter, nor does she have an email address. She's behind the times. She lives in a world that has passed her by. Most days, though, she doesn't seem to mind. Her shows and books keep her occupied, as do the weekly shopping trips. A few times a week, she also plays Bingo with the other residents and cleans up because she's the only one who can hear or who doesn't fall asleep mid-game. She thinks it's a pretty sweet deal. 

Speaking of pretty sweet deals, have you heard of Bike MS (formerly MS 150)? It's an annual bike ride that takes place in beautiful areas all over the country. Utah's Bike MS takes place in and around Logan, Utah on June 22-23. From the website, Bike MS is "for cyclists and all those seeking a personal challenge and a world free of MS. [It] is the premier fundraising cycling series in the nation." 

My husband is riding Bike MS that weekend in honor of my mom, and we need to raise some serious funds. The minimum pledge required to participate in Bike MS is $250 per person. If you don't raise the full amount, they bill you for the remainder. The MS Society doesn't mess around, and rightfully so. This debilitating disease has not been cured. Approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and it affects women twice as much as men. Every week about 200 people are diagnosed. World-wide, MS affects about 2.5 million people. Bike MS is all about raising the funds to help these people, including my mom and maybe even you or someone you love. 

So how can you help? Buy a raffle ticket! I'm raffling off two sets of three 8x10" prints in my Etsy shop, including these three images above, and the three below (without the watermark, of course). One raffle ticket is just $5, three tickets are just $10, and 100% of your purchase will go to Bike MS and the MS Society for research. I'm selling the raffle tickets until Wednesday, June 20 at 12 noon, MST, at which point I'll throw all the tickets into my husband's bike helmet, and choose the winners. 

It's a win-win situation. You have the chance to win some beautiful artwork (IMHO) and the MS Society gets money to continue its much needed research. 

***UPDATE: We were able to raise $380 for MS research!! Thank you so much to all our friends and family, far and near, for your donations. Please know that is it very much appreciated. And now (weeks late) the moment you've all been waiting for. The raffle winners! 

The winner of the set of three Polaroid Spectra prints from Yosemite is:

And the winner of the set of three black and white prints is:

Congratulations!! I'll get your prints to you as soon as possible. Thank you ALL for donating. I wish I could send prints to everyone for being so thoughtful and willing to help a good cause.