National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Special Section: Combined Federal Campaign 2009

Team Leatherneck NMITC Not All Heroes Wear Capes

By Shannon Rice
Director, Community Development, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Hampton Roads Chapter

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear camouflage. Some wear cycling shorts and jerseys. Some wear both. The 13 men and women who make up Team Leatherneck NMITC (Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, Dam Neck Annex) are true heroes. They made the choice to serve our country to ensure that we remain free. They also made the choice to participate in Bike MS: Virginia’s Ocean to Bay Ride 2009 to help create a world free of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is a disease that 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 contracting the disease. MS affects more than 2,700 people in Hampton Roads, 400,000 in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.

If you are not familiar with NMITC, their mission is “to provide dynamic, state-of-the-art entry, intermediate, and advanced intelligence training for the Navy, the Marine Corps and other organizations in support of DoD requirements and to perform such other functions and tasks as may be directed by a higher authority.” Of their many goals, one is to “foster positive community relations and support volunteer services,” which they completed successfully on May 30 and 31, 2009.

Marine Corps Detachment NMITC’s Commanding Officer Scott Ukeiley saw the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Bike MS advertisement in The Flagship newspaper. At the time, he registered as an individual in memory of his uncle, who lost a 30 year battle with MS two years ago. He emailed some of his peers and received an overwhelming response from others wanting to participate, so he started Team Leatherneck NMITC. Ukeiley encouraged his teammates, made up of both Marines and Sailors, to take on the physical challenge: Bike MS is a two-day, 150-mile bike ride on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Participants must raise at least $250 by the day of the ride.

“You don’t need to be an expert cyclist or fundraiser to participate in Bike MS,” explained Team Captain Ukeiley who purchased a 1991 steel, hybrid bike from Craig’s List three weeks prior to Bike MS. His teammates called the bike an “eyesore and a sin”, yet Ukeiley passed several riders along the route and completed the 106-mile century option on Saturday! While many members of Team Leatherneck NMITC thought both the ride and the fundraising would be difficult, they were pleasantly surprised.

“My wife encouraged me to fundraise, but agreed to write a check for $250 if it came down to it,” said Alan Taylor, Senior Enlisted, “she said most organizations have Web sites to help with fundraising, and found the National MS Society had the online fundraising pages.” Taylor raised $1,453, earning him the title of Thousandaire. The email tools gave him the opportunity to reconnect with several friends he hadn’t heard from in years! “I actually found out that the wife of one of my donors has MS.”

Tommy Drogon, faculty advisor, rode for his godson’s mom. “It was a no-brainer!” said Drogon who received Ukeiley’s email via Taylor. Drogon did the entire 150 miles on a mountain bike; passing cyclists who had state-of-the-art road bikes. “I was impressed by the organization of the event and by the welcoming I received from other cyclists. As a first time rider, I received a white number so veteran cyclists and support vehicles could offer support and encouragement along the route.” Drogon will be back next year, mountain bike and all!

Jennifer Powell and Rita Pickenpaugh, both NMITC instructors, participated in the one-day, 60-mile ride. Powell was interested in riding, but wanted to find another female to join her, so she recruited Pickenpaugh. Two weeks prior to the ride, Team Captain Ukeiley motivated them to begin fundraising. Two days before Bike MS, Powell and Pickenpaugh took their old bikes, one borrowed from a friend, to a local bike shop for safety checks. Once the bikes were fixed, they did a 12-mile training ride. With five rest-stops along the Bike MS route for them to refuel with water, sports drink and energizing snacks, both ladies completed the 60-miles!

Team Leatherneck NMITC set a fundraising goal of $4,000. They exceeded their goal! This awesome team of 13 raised $7,562, earning them the Team Silver Award. Bike MS 2009 raised nearly $600,000 to fund programs and services for people living with MS and their families, as well as much needed research to find a cause and a cure. The National MS Society, Hampton Roads Chapter would like to thank all of the members of Team Leatherneck NMITC:

Scott Ukeiley, Team Captain • Ernest D’Antonio • Tommy Drogon • Andrew Edmonds • Mitch Jackson • Veronica Jackson • Rita Pickenpaugh • Jennifer Powell • Alan Taylor • Florentino Villalpando • Danielle Wilson • Rebecca Zahrndt

If you would like to participate in Bike MS: Virginia’s Ocean to Bay Ride 2010 as a member of Team Leatherneck NMITC, visit: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/team_leatherneck

Remember the National MS Society when it’s time to designate your contributions during the annual Combined Federal Charities campaign. With the help of people like you, the National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person whose life is affected by MS and helps them stay connected to the great big moving world.
Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve quality of life for many people with multiple sclerosis. Talk to your health care professional and contact the National MS Society at www.fightms.com or 490-9627 to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.

To support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, designate CFC #11409.