352 11^th Street South

                                                                                Brigantine, NJ  08203

                                                                                June 2008

Fight the ravages of MS

Help shelter the homeless, Feed the hungry

Dear

          It’s that time of year again when I earnestly come to you for your support of two of the causes that I bicycle for.  This year I’m dedicating my MS rides to a dear patient of mine who has fought MS for more than 20 years.  For the Battle Against Hunger ride, the words of Bill Southrey, the President and CEO of the Atlantic City Rescue Mission have inspired me.

          Jean is an older lady who has had MS for a number of years.  At one time I made housecalls to her home (yes, I still do that), but when her condition deteriorated and her husband could no longer provide her the care that she needed for MS and its complications, she was admitted to a nursing home.  I have continued to attend to her there.  Despite the deterioration of her strength, she has remained cheerful, perceptive, and understanding.  Recently her husband who had his own problems with severe emphysema died.  She has endured the ravages of MS, leaving home and now the death of her spouse and has continued to have a truly upbeat attitude.  Among the nursing staff at the facility she is a favorite and is a positive influence on all those who come in contact with her.  I certainly wished that we had many of the treatments available today at an earlier stage in her disease.  Such treatments have kept many MS patients in remission and avoided the neurological and muscular deterioration and other complications that Jean has suffered.  I will be carrying a signed bandana from Jean on my tours.

          More and better treatments are still needed.  Further research is required.  That is why I ride and fundraise for the National MS Society.  This year I’ll be participating in both Greater Delaware Valley Chapter rides.  I will pedal the PA Dutch tour on July 19 and 20.  I participated in this event for the first time last year and found the hills and farmlands quite challenging but so beautiful.  And I will resume my participation in the City to Shore ride on September 27 and 28.  Even though this has become a very crowded event, I have many friends doing the event this year including my daughter so how can I stay away?

          After last year’s Battle Against Hunger tour, Mr. Southrey wrote to me thanking me for the nearly $4,000 in contributions that you helped me collect.  He said, “You truly have made a difference in the lives of many hungry and homeless people.  Because of your efforts, the homeless will have the opportunity of finding comfort in God’s love and provision.”  With such inspiration, I will participate in this event again on September 5 and 6.  Although last year I couldn’t organize a separate local group of riders, I continued to find the event enjoyable and meaningful riding with the crew from Pennington who similarly support the Trenton area Rescue Mission.  Again this year I expect to be riding with about 20 to 30 cyclists traveling from Pennington, NJ to Gettysburg, PA.  As in past years, all the funds that I collect for this ride will go to the support of the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.

          So I hope that I can again count on your support!  Please contribute to one or the other (or both) of these wonderful causes.  There are some of you who feel very close to the MS cause based on personal, family or dear friends being affected by this disease.  Please continue to support my riding for MS.  Others may view the activities of the Rescue Mission as most meaningful.  It’s your choice!  If you decide to contribute to my MS ride, either make out a check to “National MS Society” or go to the web site “mscycling.org”, click on the donate/pledge button and put in my name in the indicated fields.  On the other hand, if you would like to support the “Battle Against Hunger” tour, make out a check in that name. Mail the check to the address at the top of this letter.  And if you’d like to do both, more power to you!  Each organization is recognized as a charitable cause for tax purposes.

          Finally this year I’m excited to tell you that I’ve put together a web site that provides you more details about the charity cycling that I do and contains several photographs for your viewing pleasure.  You can find the site at www.snj.com/harry.  Thanks again for all that you do to help the less fortunate!

                                                                      Your rider,

                                                                      Harry Chaikin