Charlie Butter
Some endeavors are simply winwin win. One endeavor of this sort is a very long bike ride for a worthy cause in honor of a friend – it’s good for the biker, good for the friendship, and good for the cause. Charlie Butter of Grand Marais is preparing for a 150-mile bike ride this summer to raise money for and awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS), and he is doing it to honor a friend.
“Why I’m doing this is big and broad,” Butter said, “but the specifics are that I am doing it in honor of a dear old Navy friend of mine named Pat. Pat lives in Washington State. … I refer to him as ‘Touchdown’ because he always used to greet me with raised arms as though he was signaling a touchdown. …We have been buddies for over 30 years (and have been in regular contact) since stationed together aboard the USS Nimitz back in the late ’70s.
“I’ve known of his MS ever since then, but it is only now that I’ve become aware that it is starting to have a greater effect on his life.
“As part of my own personal journey to become more fit and healthy, along with my desire to be less selfish and direct my efforts toward the benefit of others (specifically, to model my understanding of a Christ-like life), I saw this as a multiple win decision.
“Frankly, I’m uncomfortable with the personal attention it may garner, … but for the sake of bringing attention to the cause and to the degree it will help Pat and others afflicted with the disease, I’m willing to ‘put it out there.’”
A little more than 30 years ago, Will Munger, who was at the time the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the National MS Society, and his 10-year-old son decided to ride their bikes home to Minneapolis from Will’s father’s house in Duluth. They took two days getting there, but Will decided it might be a good challenge for others and a unique way to raise funds for the National MS Society.
The first event was held in 1980, with 200 cyclists riding from Minneapolis to Duluth. It raised $33,000. The idea took off, and in 1985, the society made it an official event to be held in every chapter. In 2011, more than 110,000 cyclists participated in 100 rides, raising more than $86 million. Most rides are about 150 miles long but range from 3 miles to 250. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $1 billion. The society offers a series of 100 rides across the country each year.
The C. H. Robinson MS 150 will be held June 7-9, 2013. The ride starts Saturday, June 8 at Proctor High School, makes an overnight stop at Grand Casino Hinckley and finishes at Century College in White Bear Lake the next day.
“The National Multiple Sclerosis Society uses money collected from Bike MS to fund cutting-edge research, drive change through advocacy, facilitate professional education and provide programs and services that help people with MS and their families move their has on the society’s website, www.nationalmssociety.org.
“In the last year I have lost 80 pounds and have begun the process of getting in better physical shape,” Butter said. “As I reflect on the benefits of having put all that work into being fit, I have come to the conclusion that a healthy body is one that should be used for the benefit of others and not just myself. So this activity is, for me, an exercise (pardon the pun) in learning to adopt the mindset of selflessness and giving.”
Butter told the Cook County News- Herald, “I took up cycling shortly after I got out of the Navy in 1982 as a way to exercise and enjoy the southern Minneapolis metro area while attending college at Normandale in Bloomington. I had ridden infrequently since the early ’80s until recently, when I picked it up again as a ‘low impact’ way to exercise and rehabilitate a knee I injured while jogging two years ago.”
Butter is over halfway to his goal of raising at least $1,000 with this event.
The National MS Society is working to discover the cause of MS, improve treatment, and find a cure.
Those interested in donating or becoming involved in the C.H. Robinson MS 150 can go to Butter’s National MS Society website page at main.nationalmssociety.org/ goto/CharlesButter2013.
Facts about multiple sclerosis (MS)
from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society:
. MS is a disease of the central nervous system, comprised of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. It interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body when myelin, the protective insulation surrounding nerve fibers, becomes inflamed and breaks down. It is replaced by scars of hardened “sclerotic” patches of tissue called “plaques” which appear in “multiple” places in the central nervous system. It can be compared to a loss of insulating material around an electrical wire, interfering with the transmission of signals.
. About 2.1 million people in the world have MS.
. MS is unpredictable. The symptoms, severity and progress of the disease vary from person to person.
. Symptoms can include numbness, tingling, abnormal fatigue, vision problems, loss of balance and muscle coordination, tremors, slurred speech, memory problems, and paralysis.
. MS is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can also be caused by other problems. No single lab test either proves or rules out MS, but MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) help with diagnosis.
. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. At least two to three times more women get MS than men.
. Studies suggest that genetic factors make some people more susceptible to MS but there is no evidence that it is directly inherited. It occurs more commonly among Caucasians, especially those of northern European ancestry.
. Most people with MS have a normal or nearnormal life expectancy, although it can be terminal in some cases. Most people with MS do not become severely disabled.
. Numerous medications have been shown to slow the course of the disease for many people. Other therapies help with symptoms such as spasticity, pain, fatigue, weakness, and cognitive issues.
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