[acp-status] status since last reported on 7/25/06

[Art Mellor]

Accelerated Cure Project informal status since last reported on 7/25/06:

Information on our other mailing lists is at the bottom of this message.

>>> Joining/Leaving Us This Month

o Our Cure Map interns Mike and Ali have completed their summer
  "vacation" with us and are back to the usual partying and relaxation
  that is known as MIT.

>>> Cure Map/Repository

Repository:

o We've enrolled an additional 35 subjects since we reported status a
  month ago, which brings us to a total of 54.  Sites that are
  currently enrolling subjects include those listed below. If you are
  interested in participating, call the number and person listed and
  let them know you are interested in the Accelerated Cure Project
  repository study.

  Accelerated Cure Project (for general questions)
  Contact: Sara Loud 781-487-0032 sloud at acceleratedcure.org
  
  Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD
  Contact: Jana Goins 410-502-6160
  
  Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York
  Contact: Emily Denicore Eisenberg 212-265-8070
  
  Shepherd Center Atlanta, GA
  Contact: Elizabeth Iski 404-350-3116
  
  University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA
  Contact: Janice Weaver 508-793-6562
  
  University of Texas Southwestern Dallas, TX
  Contact: Gina Remington 214-645-0560

o We were recently approached by a NASA scientist working in
  biological research about the possibility of analyzing our samples
  using his technology to detect the presence of pathogens.
  Preliminary discussions have gone well and we will continue
  developing this potential collaboration opportunity.

Cure Map

o The Nutrition Phase 2 documents of the Cure Map have been finalized
  and are now available for download, along with the rest of our
  publications, at http://www.acceleratedcure.org/curemap/docs.php or
  individually here:
  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/23/1145241

  Thank you to Anna Peabody and Dr. Tom Gilhooly for reviewing these
  for us.

o Our summer interns Mike Yee and Ali AlHassani have wrapped up their
  Cure Map Phase 2 projects on genetics and trauma.  Their written
  contributions to the Cure Map are expected to be available for
  access later this year.

Other scientific projects:

o Art and Hollie attended the Drug Discovery Technology conference in
  Boston and the Biotech Tuesday social that followed.  Hollie also
  attended the MIT Biomedical Innovation Forum, part of which dealt
  with personalized medicine and central nervous system disorders.

o Art, Hollie, and Sara met with a software company about the
  possibility of helping to develop a knowledge management system for
  myelin-based diseases based on their technology.

o Art, Hollie, and Sara also met with another repository storage
  vendor. We are looking for a backup vendor in case of a sudden need
  to move what is becoming our most valuable asset.

>>> Fundraising

o The Water Cove Charitable Foundation has pledged a $1 million to
  Accelerated Cure Project in support of the MS Repository!  The gift
  will be leveraged through a matching program to help raise another
  one million dollars for the repository.

  Help us reach our $1 million matching goal.  Make a gift of $1,000
  or more and your gift will be matched dollar for dollar.  Pledge
  your gift of $1,000 or more for three years and the gift will be
  matched *two* to one in 2006.  If you can't pledge $1,000, gifts of
  any size still help!  For more details or to participate contact
  Melissa O'Shea at 781/487-0011 or melissa at acceleratedcure.org.

  Corporate sponsor, Return Path (http://www.returnpath.net/), has
  pledged a generous gift of $50,000 in support of the MS Repository,
  and this gift will be matched through the Water Cove matching
  program.

  Other generous contributors stepping up to help us meet the
  challenge include John Hancock Long Term Care, Sun Life Financial,
  and the Montel Williams MS Foundation.

>>> Education

o Thanks to an educational grant from Teva, we were able to work with
  chronic illness coach Rosalind Joffe to create a new resource
  booklet: Working with Multiple Sclerosis

  PDF is available here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/acp-workingwithms.pdf

o MSNews (http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org) continues to run daily updates
  on MS related items. If you come across anything MS related and new
  on the web, please submit it to our site. 

>>> Community Building

o We've gotten a number of press mentions, which you can check out
  here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/news/bcp.php

o We had a number of meetings with various people:
  - Art began talking to a major genetics screening company to explore
    their capabilities
  - We were interviewed for a student film at Middlebury College
  - We talked to a company about the creation of a demyelinating
    disease research database
  - Met with Audrey Gordon from the Progeria Research Foundation to
    discuss common nonprofit issues
  - Spoke with numerous people with MS to answer their questions

o As always, a few more T-shirt pictures are available:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/tshirt.php

>>> Events

o Vicki Finlayson will be hosting a benefit social for Accelerated
  Cure Project and LDN for MS Research on Sunday, September 17th from
  4pm - 9pm in Auburn, CA. For more information or to purchase
  tickets, call Vicki Finlayson at 530-268-8150 or click here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20060917_lakeofthepines.php

o Save the date for Accelerated Cure Project's 2006 Annual Event
  scheduled for Saturday, November 18th from 6pm - 10pm at the MIT
  Faculty Club in Cambridge, MA.  More information coming soon!

o Congratulations to Sierra Doherty, who completed hiked the Colorado
  Trail to raise funds and awareness for several MS organization,
  include LDN for MS Research.  You can read about her effort or make
  a contribution here:
  http://cub.alaskapacific.edu/sdoherty/donate.htm

o Congratulations to The Greater Cincinnati Cure Project, who's first
  Annual Canine Happy Hour in Cincinnati, OH boasted an attendance of
  190 people and 162 dogs and raised over $7,000!  Thank you Kemp,
  Cindy, Ursula, and Jodi!

>>> Operations

o Volunteer Dave Kaffine automated the generation of our tax receipt
  letters for donors, saving us huge amounts of time.

o Volunteers Dave Kaffine and Tony Falcone helped us add the ability
  to search our database by distance from a given point, helping us
  identify people to contact when we travel an have events in a
  fraction of the time it used to take.

o Our audited financials from 2005 are finally available on our web
  site here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/about/annualreport.php

>>> Volunteer Efforts that have been reported since last time

Volunteer Efforts for Status July 2006
  
o July Contributed Goods and Services
  Clockwork Design Group, Inc.
  Anchor Inn Motel
  Fairfield Inn
  Four Points
  Matrix Media

o ACP/LDN cocktail party 2006
  Vicki Finlayson
  
o Admin
  Jane Shapiro
  Marie Mota
  Joyce Ananian
  Kelly Novak
  Marie Rudzinsky
  
o Admin and Fundraising
  Deb Dufault
  
o Coast to Coast Cyclists for MS 2006
  Kevin Welch
  Michael Maher
  Ryan Murphy
  Thomas Sullivan
  
o Community Building
  Alex Bargar
  Gabe d'Annunzio
  
o Cure Map
  Anna Peabody
  Tom Gilhooly
  
o Donor Database Project
  Dave Kaffine
  
o Fundraising
  Meghan O'Sullivan
  
o Greater Cincinnati Cure Project Canine Happy Hour
  Cindy Fink
  Jodi Supinski
  Kemp Jaycox
  Ursula Hicks
  
o Neuroanatomy Paper
  James Steinberg
  Jennifer Tobin
  Joel Jacobs
  
o NYCP Admin and Fundraising
  Sarina Sivilli
  
o PSA
  Janice Avery Barsha
  
o Scientific Research
  Monika Fekete
  
o Sing to Cure MS 2006
  Marion Leeds Carroll

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