RAMS week concludes
Published Feb. 23, 2007
Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis, a weeklong philanthropy at MU that benefits the MS Institute at University of Missouri Health Care, will hold the final installment of its biggest event tonight. The Rock-It Finals, a dance and lip-sync competition that held its preliminary competition on Monday and Tuesday nights, will be held at The Blue Note.
For RAMS Tri-Director Chris Price, the event is one that every college student should experience.
"If you've never been before, this is an experience in college you won't forget," Price said. "You get to see your classmates, who you see every day in an academic setting, display their talents."
RAMS raises money to better accommodate MS patients in their everyday activities. Funding goes toward ramps and other accommodations to make patients' homes accessible and cooling vests, as MS patients are not able to handle warm weather as easily as people who do not have the disease, Price said.
Price said the organization provides more than just material services.
"I'd say the main thing that we do for the patients, this is coming from some of their own mouths, is just lift their spirits," Price said.
Deanna Harper is Service Coordinator for the MS Institute and also serves as adviser for RAMS. She provided testimonials from MS patients who received services but did not provide their names because she had not been able to contact them for their approval.
"If not for all of you, we with MS would not be able to get things we need on a daily basis," one patient stated. "The cooling vest along with the neck and wrist cooling has changed me from being a hermit at home and able to get out just a little more."
Another patient had lost her job with the state of Missouri due to her MS. But with the help of RAMS, she said she was able to re-enter the work force with a part-time job at Wal-Mart after receiving a cooling vest.
"Thank you all so much," she stated. "I looked into them and couldn't afford one. That is why I am working, I can finally pay my bills again without worrying each month."
All of the money will go toward these types of improvements and none to research.
"It all goes towards helping patients get through their lives," Price said.
Earlier in the week, the organization had its Jail n' Bail event. Volunteers chose to "go to jail," meaning the volunteers stood outside campus buildings and asked for donations. Volunteers were not bailed out of a makeshift "prison" in Brady Commons until they raised $20. Volunteers were free to leave before being bailed if they had other obligations, Tri-Director Amy Rekart said.
While the philanthropy is open to the entire campus and is the largest campus-wide philanthropy, the Greek community tends to make up a large percentage of those participating in RAMS, Panhellenic Association spokeswoman Julia Hornaday said.
"We tend to dominate the competitive events," Hornaday said.
On Saturday, RAMS volunteers will hold service day, an event originally scheduled for last Saturday that was postponed due to weather. The event involves volunteers traveling around the area to do about 35 projects. Six volunteers are assigned to each project.
The Rock-It finals event will begin at 7:30 p.m today at The Blue Note. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is $10.