[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 113 (Tuesday, September 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE DELAWARE CHAPTER OF 
                THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 10, 2002

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, during my service as a Member of the House 
of Representatives, it has been my honor and privilege to rise and pay 
tribute to organizations and people who really make a difference in the 
Delaware community. Today, I rise to recognize the Delaware Chapter of 
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and its over 1,000 dedicated 
volunteers.
  The Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society 
has been serving Delawareans coping with MS for over 25 years. The 
information, support, and funding the Delaware Chapter provides is 
paramount in the fight to find a cure for this devastating disease 
currently afflicting over 1,100 people in Delaware, and over one-third 
of a million people across the Nation.
  As many of my Colleagues may know, MS is a chronic, often disabling 
disease of the nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness 
in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. Most 
people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, but the 
unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. The 
progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot 
yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are giving 
hope to those affected by the disease.
  This hope comes in the form of increased funding for research into 
the causes of MS, the development of new treatments, and the 
possibilities of a cure. Since the chapter was founded nearly 25 years 
ago, The Delaware Chapter has been instrumental in raising funds 
through events such as the MS 150 Bike to the Bay and the Delaware MS 
walk, which combined raised nearly $1.25 million in the past two years. 
And over its 25 year existence, the Delaware Chapter of the National MS 
Society has raised over $16.8 million for local and National MS 
research projects and estimates its 2002 totals to reach nearly $2 
million.
  These astounding numbers exemplify the dedication and hard work that 
have been the hallmark of volunteerism in the State of Delaware. 
Without the more than 1,000 volunteers and over 3,000 event 
participants, the mission of the National MS Society, ending the 
devastating effects of multiple sclerosis, would be that much farther 
away. Delaware volunteers, like Bianca Fraser, who this year alone 
raised over $45,000 in the MS walk for the Delaware Chapter, and will 
be inducted into the National MS Society National Fund-raising Hall of 
Fame, have proven themselves to be some of the best in the Nation--a 
fact that many of us in Delaware have known for quite some time now.
  The Delaware Chapter also developed and maintains many beneficial 
programs for those living with MS and their families, including self-
help groups, peer support systems, and counseling services. Through its 
educational programs, Moving Forward; Information Seminars; and 
Knowledge is Power, and through its Lending Library, the Delaware 
Chapter has become the premier source of information for Delawareans 
seeking to better understand this potentially debilitating disease, its 
causes and symptoms, available treatments and breakthroughs in 
research, and most importantly, the Chapter offers individuals the 
solace that they are not alone and that there are those who are 
dedicated to finding a cure.
  The Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and 
its volunteers have shown themselves to be exemplary models of 
dedication and caring within the Delaware community. I commend them for 
their quarter century of service and continued efforts in improving the 
lives of their fellow Delawareans.

                          ____________________