Blind Cyclist Joins Bike to the Bay Sept. 20-21 to Raise Funds for Multiple Sclerosis

For many people such as attorney Richard Nenno from Delaware, joining a fundraising sport event stems from a highly personal mission. Despite being blind, Nenno plans to join next month’s Bike to the Bay event for multiple sclerosis (MS), and he will be doing it in memory of his mother who had MS. This will be his way of showing his support for ongoing and future studies, projects, and healthcare services for this progressive inflammatory disease that damages the nerves and spinal cord.

The upcoming Bike to the Bay is scheduled on September 20-21, 2014, to be hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society‘s Delaware Chapter. This year will be Nenno’s 17th time participating in the event, along with his riding partner, Rob Collins.

Nenno and Collins first met back in 1982 at Wilmington Trust, a wealth and investment management firm in Delaware, where they are still employed. In 1995, Collins purchased a tandem bicycle and rode it with Nenno. This was the start of their biking partnership, wherein Collins takes the front as the bike’s “captain,” while Nenno rides in the back as the “stoker,” Whenever the two ride together, they don’t forget the importance of communication, such as when they’re about to pedal, stop, and turn.

For about 12 years now, Nenno has been ranked as one of the leading fundraisers of this annual biking event, having raised over $218,000 for MS. He gives most of the credit to the solicitation letters he sends out to his friends and co-workers during the days leading up to and following the event.

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This year’s Bike to the Bay also commemorates the 31st year the Delaware Chapter is hosting the event, which is the biggest and longest in the state, attracting over 1,500 participants. The goal for 2014 is to be able to raise at least $1 million for the country’s MS initiatives.

If you are interested in joining the Bike to the Bay MS fundraiser, log on to www.biketothebay.org or call 302-655-5610, Ext. 2.