MS Awareness Week
March 5-11, 2007

In cross-collaboration, MS patient organizations and MS activists from around the world have come together during MS Awareness Week 2007 to call on Congress to increase federal funding for multiple sclerosis research.

You can join the movement. Tell your members of Congress. Take action today.

Every hour someone is newly diagnosed with MS and faces the challenge that moving might not be a guarantee. Moving is who we are. Inside and out. Moving is intrinsic to everyone, but MS stops people from moving. Advances in research and treatment can help move us closer to a world free of MS.

The VisionWorks Foundation, Inc., MSFriends Initiative is pleased to announce that MS patient organizations and MS activists from around the world have come together during MS Awareness Week 2007 and are calling on Congress to increase federal funding for multiple sclerosis research.

Advances in research and treatment can help move us closer to a world free of MS. However, federal funding for research has been flat in recent years. And in 2007, it is expected to decrease. This trend impedes progress toward a cure and new treatments for MS.

The VisionWorks Foundation, Inc., MSFriends Initiative is working alongside the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the MS Coalition in this effort. In March, hundreds of MS activists will take this issue to Capitol Hill. Together, we all are calling on Congress to increase federal funding and fuel MS research.

1. To join the movement you can contact your legislators by calling toll-free:

1-877-224-0041.

Ask the Capitol operator to connect you to your legislator.

To make this call easier, we have provided a sample script below.

Sample Script

Hello. My name is ______________________.

I am from ____(city, state) ______________.

I urge you to support an increase in federal funding for multiple sclerosis research.

Advances in research and treatment can help move us closer to a world free of MS. However, federal funding for research has been flat in recent years. And in 2007, it is expected to decrease. This trend stops progress toward a cure and new treatments for MS.

[Optional: Reference your MS organization and/or your personal connection to MS here]

The VisionWorks Foundation, Inc., MSFriends Initiative, The National MS Society along with the MS Coalition are working together and taking action in response. In March, you will hear from hundreds of MS activists visiting the Hill. And I send you this request today.

Together, we all are calling on you to help increase federal funding and to fuel MS research. This is MS Awareness Week, the perfect time to show your support for services and research that benefit people living with multiple sclerosis.

Thank you for your time.