[Accelerated Cure Project Status] informal status for the month of August 2007

[Art Mellor]

Accelerated Cure Project informal status for the month of August 2007:

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

>>> Joining/Leaving Us This Month

o Our summer interns Dawn, Vivi, and Nima have left to return to their
  studies

>>> Research

Repository:

o Our repository has now enrolled 619 subjects at six actively enrolling 
  collection sites
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/repository/status.php

o DNA samples from 412 subjects (cases and controls) were distributed to 
  Dr. David Simon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston

o Also, DNA samples from 150 MS cases were distributed to Dr. Bernadette 
  Kalman at SUNY in New York

o We now have the domains www.msrepository.org and msbiobank.org :-)

Other scientific projects:

o Art, Hollie and Sara visited the exhibit hall at the Drug Discovery 
  Technology conference in Boston

o We posted an updated set of Toxics Phase 2 Cure Map documents on our 
  web site
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/curemap/docs.php

o Intern Dawn Spelke wrapped up her work on investigating the addition 
  of CSF to our repository and analyzing research on vaccines in MS

>>> Fundraising

o Water Cove Matching Challenge

  Less than $47K left to meet the Water Cove Charitable Foundation's
  $1 million matching challenge!  Make a gift of $1,000 or more and
  the foundation will match it one to one.  Pledge that same gift for
  3 years and they'll double match it.  If you can't pledge $1,000,
  gifts of any size always help.  For more details contact Melissa
  O'Shea 781/487-0011 or melissa at acceleratedcure.org.

>>> Education

o Poll - What was your recreational pharmaceutical use prior to your
  MS diagnosis?
  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/node/2833

o Our latest press mentions:

  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/news/bcp/20070703-metrowest.php

o We continue our daily MS News updates

  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org

>>> Community Building

o We had a number of meetings with various people:
  - Art spoke at the Biogen Idec patient advocate conference to tell
    them about our repository
  - Art participated in a 7T MRI study at Mass General. You can too:
    http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/node/2839

o San Francisco Office

  Sarah Nels continues to make progress in getting our new office
  established in San Francisco and has been connecting with supporters
  in the bay area offering to help.  If you can help with this effort,
  please email her at sarah-sf at acceleratedcure.com

  You can see a picture of the building and directions to our new
  office here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/common/directions-sf.php

o Expansion Teams

  We're pleased to announce two new Expansion Teams which benefit the
  Accelerated Cure Project, the Will White Fund and The Barbara Ann
  Cohen Katz Memorial Fund:
  http://expansion.acceleratedcure.org/will/
  http://expansion.acceleratedcure.org/backmf

o Volunteer opportunity for MSFriends

  MSFriends is the only 24/7, telephone peer support organization for
  people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).  MS Friends has a live
  online 1:1 chat which is between one volunteer and one
  client. MSFriends is currently recruiting new volunteers.  To
  volunteer, you must either have MS or be the care partner of someone
  with MS, have approximately 2 years peer support experience, have a
  computer and basic computer knowledge, and be able to volunteer 5
  hours per week.
 
 If you are interested in reaching out to help a fellow MS person in
 need of support, please either call Susan Zachary, Vice President and
 Programs Director of The VisionWorks Foundation, Inc., MSFriends
 Initiative at 210-590-0684 or email szachary at msfriends.org.  A
 complete list of requirement to be an MSFriend volunteer is online at
 http://www.msfriends.org/index.php?pg=volunteers

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

>>> Events

Detailed information about all of our upcoming events can be found on
our web site: http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/calendar.php

o September 8: Join the Greater Cincinnati Cure Project this Saturday
  for their Second Annual Canine Happy Hour featuring a cash bar,
  concession stand, live music, 3.5-acres of off-leash area for dogs,
  silent auction, raffle, goodie bags and giveaways for all.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20070908_canine.php

o September 23: Come enjoy refreshments, win door prizes, or
  participate in our raffle and silent auction while listening to
  local Ithaca, NY-area and Ithaca College musicians.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20070916_ithaca.php

o October 28: Members of Boston Lyric Opera, Longwood Symphony
  Orchestra, and other classical musicians are performing in a concert
  of opera scenes, art songs and chamber music in Arlington, MA to
  support Accelerated Cure Project.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071028_sing.php

o October 28: Come support our one-man team at the Marine Corps
  Marathon in Arlington, VA as he runs a challenging course and raises
  funds for Accelerated Cure Project.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071028_marinecorp.php

o November 9: Save the date for the 2007 Accelerated Cure Project
  Annual Event San Francisco at the Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
  in San Francisco, CA.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071109_sfannual.php

o November 17: Save the date for the 2007 Accelerated Cure Project
  Annual Event at the MIT Faculty Club in Cambridge, MA.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071117_acp_party.php

o December 1: For anyone willing to brave the elements in December,
  sign up for or just come watch the Nonotuck Cyclocross Race to Cure
  MS in Easthampton, MA.  The course will include pavement, grass,
  sand, barriers, and more.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071201_cyclocross.php

o January 13: Come kick off your New Year's resolution and enjoy yoga,
  pilates, henna tattoos, massage therapy, make-up advice,
  aromatherapy, self-defense, and more at our Health and Beauty Fair
  in Allston, MA.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20080113_beauty.php

>>> Operations

o The PDF of our Fall newsletter is available for download:

  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/acp-update-vol0603.pdf
  
  Printed copies will be going out shortly

o A PDF of our 2006 990 is now available:

  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/about/annualreport.php

>>> Volunteer Efforts Reported Last Month

** Contributed Goods and Services **
   Clockwork Design Group, Inc
   Matrix Media
   Jennifer Downing
   Peter Monaghan

** Admin **
   Bonnie Hakkinen
   Cliff Bargar
   Avery Bargar
   Debra Lynne

** Barbara Ann Cohen Katz Memorial Fund **
   Nancy Katz Eder

** Benefit Concert to Cure MS* *
   Pat Phelps
   Deirdre Yavorsky
   Sue Hooks
   Ryan Salisbury
   Betty House
   Leon Phelps

** Dance to Cure MS **
   Deb DuFault

** Canine Happy Hour **
   Amy Grof
   Cindy Fink
   Debbie Mann
   Jodi Supinski
   Kemp Jaycox
   Mary Owensby
   Peggy Shannon
   Ryan Limke
   Christina Urbanowicz

** Health and Beauty Fair **
   Cher Kore

** Letter Writing Campaigns **
   Noreen Simon
   Nicolena Nina

** Movie Display Auctions **
   Jeff Shapiro

** Sing to Cure MS **
   Marion Leeds Carroll

==================================================
Remember, you can also receive our other mailings
Sign up at http://www.acceleratedcure.org/about/joinemail.php
 - acp-volunteer: periodic announcements for volunteer opportunities
 - Quarterly print newsletter