Regional News

Northeast Region
The MSAA Northeast Region officially welcomes the state of Maryland to our region! Plans are underway to develop new support groups, conferences, and other MSAA services throughout Maryland. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated, so please call with your specific needs and ideas for support.

In other news, the Northeast Region has planned an ambitious events schedule for the fall and winter months as follows:

Recent events in the Northeast Region include our first support group facilitator barbeque. Local clients who facilitate support groups for the region assembled at MSAA National Headquarters to enjoy a barbeque with our Regional Coordinator, Helene, as chef. Group leaders exchanged ideas, shared information, and offered support to one another to gain information and expand their ideas. In Connecticut, Teva Neuroscience sponsored an educational workshop featuring inspirational speaker and race car driver, Kelly Sutton, who has MS.

Two additional support groups were formed over the summer months, one in Easton, Pennsylvania, and the other in Valley Stream, New York. Please call the Northeast Regional Office at extension 106 for further information on these new groups, existing groups, or to start a support group in your area. Our annual “Sweeten the Season” fundraiser has begun and will continue through the month of December. The campaign raises funds through the sale of $1.00 cardboard candy canes. Proceeds benefit MSAA’s development of programs and services. If you are interested and wish to get involved, please contact Helene Hoffman, northeast coordinator, for further details.

MSAA Northeast Regional Office:
Susan Freund, Director
706 Haddonfield Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 488-4500
(800) 532-7667, ext.106MSAA Connecticut Field Office
Marva Llewellyn
Client Services Coordinator
72 Spruce Street, Apt 4-E
Stamford, CT 06902(203) 921-2682(800) 532-7667, ext. 151

Midwest Region
The MSAA Midwest Region welcomes Charmaine Cothran as client services coordinator. Charmaine will be based in Chicago, Illinois and leads the African Americans Living with MS (AALMS) group in Chicago. To reach Charmaine, please contact the Midwest Regional Office (ext. 140) at the number listed on page 44.

The AALMS group in Chicago recently had a luau, and we are also looking forward to this year's Holiday Socials. Please contact your nearest MSAA support group leader for information on Holiday Socials in your area.

Support groups are located in Northfield, Sagamore Hills, Proctorville, and Wauseon, Ohio; Chicago and Morris, Illinois; Custer, Midland, and Ironwood, Michigan. New groups are forming all the time. Please call the regional office for information on new groups forming in your area or for information on starting a new group.

MSAA Day at the Zoo was held in August at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Dr. Manoj Malhotra talked about living with MS; MS nurse Marie Namey of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center talked about symptom management; and Bill Adams demonstrated T’ai Chi with an active, hands-on demonstration. This program was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Berlex.
The Midwest Region also held its first support group leader teleconference. The topic was “How to Facilitate an Effective Support Group.” We look forward to more of these as a way of sharing vital information with support group leaders.

We are also present throughout the region at various health fairs and disability awareness events. Please contact the Midwest Regional Office if you would like information on how to have MSAA participate in your event.

We continue to welcome volunteers, whether as support group leaders, a Pathways for Independence assessor, or a Sweeten the Season fundraiser -- you play a vital role in the continued success of the MSAA Midwest Regional Office.

MSAA Midwest Regional Office:
Renée Williams, Director
13938A Cedar Road, #243
University Heights, OH 44118 (216) 320-1838
(800) 532-7667, ext. 140
MSAA Chicago Area Field Office
Scott McDonald
Client Services Coordinator
3013 S. Wolf Road #215
Westchester, IL 60154-5639(708) 223-0734(800) 532-7667, ext. 150

Mid-South Region
Upcoming events for the Mid-South Region include MS Awareness Day. This event will offer valuable information, whether you’re newly diagnosed or a veteran of MS. Featuring presentations and discussion groups, many aspects of living with MS will be covered, all at no cost. MS Awareness Day will take place on November 22nd, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. MS Awareness Days were held recently in Oklahoma City and Ada, Oklahoma, as well as Poplar Bluff and Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, please contact the Mid-South Regional Office.

The MSAA Mid-South Region would like to welcome our newest support groups: Mena, Van Buren, and Mount Ida, Arkansas; Independence and Anderson, Missouri; and North Richland Hills, Big Spring, and Cisco, Texas. A group is also being formed in Austin, Texas.

You may want to consider forming an MSAA support group in your area. Together we can help each other and people with MS in your community through information, services, and fellowship. There are many types of support groups that MSAA can support other than the general MS support groups. Even if you have an inclusive group, you might want to consider starting special groups for the newly diagnosed, a group for men, a women’s group, a group for care partners, a group for parents, or a group for children and teenagers of people with MS.

If you are interested in starting a support group in the Mid-South Region, or want more information on joining your local support group, please contact us at the phone number listed below.

MSAA Mid-South Regional Office: Adam Roberts, Regional Director
1515 N Town E Boulevard
Suite 138, Box 320
Mesquite, Texas 75150-4142
(817) 480-2125
(800) 532-7667, ext. 153

MSAA Arkansas Field Office
Judith Bennie, Client Services Coordinator
107 Avonshire Terrace
Hot Springs, AR 71913
(501) 262-9380
(800) 532-7667, ext. 137

Northwest Region
Our Harvest Dinner is scheduled for November 13th in Kalispell, Montana. Due to the popularity of the dinner, we are outgrowing our usual meeting place, so call the Northwest Regional Office for the location. Don’t miss this evening of good food and friendship. (This event is close to our distribution date, so we apologize if you do not receive this issue until after the event.)

December 6th is the date of our Holiday Luncheon in Missoula, Montana.The lunch will be a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings and will be held at the Grant Creek Inn. With entertainment and gifts galore, the Missoula MSAA Support Group works year round to make this a really special day.

TransMontana 2004, the annual snowmobile charity ride, will begin at the Canadian border on January 18th and end at Raynolds Pass outside West Yellowstone, Montana on January 23rd. MSAA President and CEO Doug Franklin will be joining us for the entire ride this year, along with riders from Teva Neuroscience’s “Team Copaxone.” If you are interested in joining the ride, or meeting the riders along the route, please contact the Northwest office at ext. 131.

Our 10th annual Celebration Picnic in the Park was once again a big hit. This year the “Rufriders” entertained us with their great country music. The chicken kebobs and cheesecake were the favorites in the food line, and our clown had a great time handing out prizes and candy for the children.

The recent “Town Pump 2003 Charity Golf Tourney” held in Anaconda, Montana brought together 144 golfers with a common goal – to raise funds for MSAA and the Montana Hope Project. With a record number of golfers, the event was a great success and more than $8,000 was raised for our Pathways for Independence program. A big THANK YOU to Town Pump and all those who participated in this terrific fundraiser.

In October, neurologist Dr. John Huddlestone was the featured speaker at the “Living with MS” educational program in Olympia, Washington. Rocket scientist and motivational speaker Spruce Cox shared his personal triumphs over MS and discussed how dealing with the daily challenges has made him stronger. This was truly an inspirational program.

We would like to welcome our newest support group. The Yakima, Washington group had their first meeting in October at The Wellness House in Yakima. For information on meeting times, contact group leader Teri Renee at (509) 575-6686. We look forward to expanding our programs in the Yakima area and working with the new group.

With the heat of summer behind us, we are all looking forward to the beauty of fall. Enjoy!

MSAA Northwest Regional Office:
Sue Pencoske, Director
600 Central Plaza, Suite #13
Great Falls, Montana, 59401
(406) 454-2758
(800) 532-7667, ext. 131

Southeast Region
A T’ai Chi class and aquatics class for individuals with MS have been formed in Daytona Beach, Florida. Helping participants to better manage their MS through exercise, these classes began in September with the support of Teva Neuroscience and the Dayton Beach Community College (at the Lemerand Center).

Both classes were formed largely through the efforts of Montye Conlan, an MS advocate and a certified MS aquatic instructor. Montye has found aquatic exercise to be of much benefit to the management of her MS, and describes T’ai Chi as a form of “moving meditation,” which promotes relaxation, concentration, balance, and strength.

Anyone interested in participating in these free classes may contact our Southeast Regional Office. Those interested in forming similar classes in areas outside of the Daytona Beach area should also contact the Southeast Regional Office.

SCUBA certification classes are forming in Clearwater, Florida, and are funded by MSAA and the Multiple Sclerosis SCUBA Association (MSSA), a nonprofit organization sponsored by Teva Neuroscience. These dive certification classes provide special training for individuals with MS and adhere to PADI requirements. To participate in this program, or to begin a SCUBA certification program in another area, please contact the Southeast Regional Office.

In October, MSAA and Teva Neuroscience co-sponsored an educational and entertaining event in Greensboro, North Carolina, with country singer Clay Walker. Despite the challenges of MS, Clay continues to perform and have several hit songs. Individuals with MS in the area met Linda Chaney for the first time and learned first-hand about the free programs and services offered by MSAA.

The Southeast Region is co-sponsoring a very unique event on November 15th with Berlex. Guests will be treated to a top local neurologist who will speak to individuals with MS and their care partners, beginning at 10:00 am at the Bishop Museum, followed by a brief presentation of MSAA programs and services. Then it's off to tour the museum and to have a special visit with “Snooty,” the country’s oldest living manatee in captivity. This event is free and lunch will be provided. (This event is near our distribution date, so we apologize if you do not receive this issue until after the event.)

The Southeast Region is also pleased to recognize a group of volunteers who are raising funds for MSAA through the sale of “Sweeten the Season” candy canes in the Apollo Beach area. If you would like to join them, or form a similar group, please contact the Southeast Regional Office.

MSAA Southeast Regional Office: Linda Chaney, Director
PO Box 66565
St. Petersburg, Florida 33736
(800) 532-7667, ext. 154