WPS Health Insurance Again Sponsoring Bike MS: TOYOTA Best Dam Bike Ride

For the third consecutive year, WPS Health Insurance, Wisconsin’s leading not-for-profit health insurer and provider of affordable group and individual health insurance, will again sponsor the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter’s Bike MS: TOYOTA Best Dam Bike Ride.

The two-day fundraiser takes place Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4. This year’s event will feature a three-county ride from Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee to the WPS Health Insurance campus in Madison. Proceeds will support critical MS research and provide much-needed programs and services for Wisconsin residents with MS and their families.

“The support WPS gives to the MS Movement is remarkable,” said Colleen G. Kalt, president and CEO of the National MS Society-Wisconsin Chapter. “Not only have they been generous sponsors of this event for a number of years, but they put their support into action by allowing us the use of their office campus to host our finish-line celebration.”

“WPS is proud to support the cyclists and volunteers, as well as those with MS and the people who care for them,” said Ellen Foley, WPS vice president of corporate communications. “Participants will get a healthy ride while touring beautiful parts of Wisconsin and raising funds to help find a cure for MS.”

Last year nearly 1,700 cyclists and volunteers took part in the Best Dam Bike Ride. Riders choose from 50-, 75- or 100-mile route options each day, traveling from Waukesha County Technical College – Pewaukee Campus to UW-Whitewater on Saturday and from UW-Whitewater to the WPS Health Insurance campus in Madison on Sunday, where a finish-line celebration is held.

Cyclists are treated to a fully-supported weekend, including: rest stops every 8-12 miles, support vehicles along the route, medical and mechanical staff, lodging, food and entertainment. There is a $40 non-refundable registration fee and riders are asked to pledge or raise a minimum of $300; first-time participants are able to waive the registration fee. 

On-site registration will be available at WCTC Saturday morning starting at 6:30 a.m., with the Ride beginning at 7:30 a.m. All participants must be at least 12 years of age on or before the day of the event. 

To donate to Bike MS: TOYOTA Best Dam Bike Ride or for more information, visit bestdambikeride.org or call (262) 369-4400 or (800) 242-3358. 

TOYOTA is the ride’s presenting sponsor. In addition to WPS Health Insurance, other sponsors include Columbia St. Mary’s, UW Health, American Family Insurance, First Business Bank, Madison Gas & Electric and MillerCoors.    

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. 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 at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide. More than 10,000 children, women and men have been diagnosed in Wisconsin, believed to be one of the higher prevalence rates in the nation.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2012 alone, the Society invested $43 million to support 350 research projects around the world while providing programs and services that assisted more than one million people. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at www.wisMS.org or by calling 262-369-4400 or 800-242-3358.

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).