WAIKOLOA — An ape was on the loose this weekend on the west side of the Big Island, but don’t worry, it was no cause for concern. The purple primate was out and about on a 115-mile bike ride to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis.
WAIKOLOA — An ape was on the loose this weekend on the west side of the Big Island, but don’t worry, it was no cause for concern. The purple primate was out and about on a 115-mile bike ride to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis.
Under the suit was Casey Francis, who stunt helped raise $4,450 for MS, according to the fundraising website, an event-high.
“Bike MS is a ride (not a race) that brings us together to make a difference and each mile we ride brings us closer to a world free of MS,” Francis wrote on his fundraising page.
Participants rode 65 miles on the first day, 50 on the second day. The ride took the bikers from Waikoloa through Hawi and up to Kapaau and back on Day 1. On Day 2, the riders went down to Kailua-Kona and back.
According the organization’s website, Bike MS raises more money than any other cycling event for any other cause. To date, Bike MS cyclists, volunteers and donors have raised over $1 billion. The Big Island event dubbed, “Bike MS: Go BIG! Or Go Home!” raised nearly $30,000 this year.
Symptoms of MS range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are leading to better understanding.
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide, and there is not yet a cure.