MS Foundation Will Host Bourbon and Blues 30th Anniversary Gala on Dec. 3

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, celebrating its 30^th anniversary of serving the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, will host the Bourbon and Blues black tie gala on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Cocktail hour will start at 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. brings the start of dinner and dancing. Besides a cocktail reception, the event will include a bourbon bar, whiskey tasting, and silent auction.

A gala honoree is the musician and songwriter David Osmond, the recipient of the 2016 National Beacon Award. Osmond, the lead singer of the group Osmonds 2^nd Generation, is an MS advocate and was diagnosed with the disease almost 10 years ago.

Sheli Muniz, an anchor with a South Florida NBC station, will be the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Dr. Ben Thrower, a renowned MS neurologist and senior medical adviser for the MS Foundation, will be the event’s honorary chair.

The foundation relies on donor funds to provide immediate and important free services to the MS community. According to a press release provided to Multiple Sclerosis News Today, the foundation raised more than $8.6 million in 2015 from donors, enabling it offer patients services ranging from medications,  at-home treatments and wellness activities to cooling vests and other necessary accessories.

Tickets for the Bourbon and Blues gala can be purchased by clicking on this link. Individual registrations start at $250, tables of 10 are available for $2,000, and several options for event sponsorship exist.

The MS Foundation estimates that over 400,000 people in the U.S. have MS, and about 2.5 million worldwide. MS progressively destroys the conduction of nerve impulses, caused by scarring and damage to the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers. This results in severe neurodegenerative complications, like impaired vision,  loss of balance, and a  generalized loss of muscular control, making MS one of the most debilitating muscle diseases.

To celebrate its 30^th anniversary in August, the foundation pledged to grant 30 more wishes to MS patients through its Brighter Tomorrow Grant program. To achieve this, it is asking the public to help it raise $30,000 before Dec. 1 that will be used to add to the 100 grants annually given to people with MS. Valued at about $1,000, each grant can be used to make a personal wish come true or improve a patient’s quality of life by enabling greater self-sufficiency, safety and comfort.