[Accelerated Cure Project Status] status for the months of September & October 2007

[Art Mellor]

Accelerated Cure Project informal status for the months of
September & October 2007

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

>>> Joining/Leaving Us This Month

We welcome Kristin O'Donnell, our new Administrative Assistant.  She
has joined our team to work on a variety of administrative and
operational tasks. She'll be taking over for Satita who will leave in
December to have her first child.

>>> Research

Repository:

o We now have 743 enrollees that have joined us via our six sites

o Accelerated Cure Project volunteers went to an educational symposium
  at the MS Research Center of New York and shared information about
  the repository with the attendees

o We are making progress on the longitudinal (follow-up visits) part
  of the study and have submitted the relevant documents to a central
  ethics board for review

o Art and Sara attended a seminar on gene expression profiling given
  by Gene Logic

o Art and Hollie met with David Hafler and Philip de Jager to discuss
  our potential participation in an international MS genetics
  collaboration

o Hollie and Art attended a workshop at the NIH about two programs
  (BIRN and caBIG) set up to enable and support collaborative sharing
  of medical information (such as MRI images)

o Samples from 120 MS cases, transverse myelitis cases, and controls were 
  distributed to Gene Logic, Inc. for a gene expression study.

Other scientific projects:

o We finished the first versions of our Phase 1 and 2 Cure Map
  documents on trauma as a risk factor for MS:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/phase1-trauma.pdf
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/phase2-trauma-analysis.pdf

o We also posted an updated version of our genetics studies spreadsheet:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/phase2-genetic-studies.xls

o Our Phase 2 Pathogens documents were recently updated and are
  available here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/phase2-pathogens-analysistables.pdf
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/phase2-pathogens-studies.xls

o Art and Hollie attended ECTRIMS in Prague and presented a poster -- 
  our write-up of the conference can be found here:
  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/node/2928

>>> Fundraising

o Accelerated Cure Project is pleased to announce a partnership with
  the Mary J. Szczepanski "Never Give Up" Scholarship Foundation
  through which eight $500 scholarships will be awarded to seniors at
  Michigan high schools for raising the most funds for Accelerated
  Cure Project during the 2007-2008 school year.  For more details
  visit http://expansion.acceleratedcure.org/msscholarship

>>> Education

o Poll - How do you like MSNews?
  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/node/2991

  Our last Poll - How did your expectations of what MS would be like
  when you were first diagnosed compare to reality? Produced
  interesting results. About 50% of people thought MS was not as bad
  or about what expected, 39% felt it was worse, 11% said too early to
  tell.
  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org/node/2934

o Our latest press mentions:

  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/news/bcp/20071122-bostonglobe.php
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/news/bcp/20071031-naplesdailynews.php
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/news/bcp/20070920-ithacan.php

o We continue our daily MS News updates

  http://msnews.acceleratedcure.org

>>> Community Building

o 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

  Directions to and a picture of our new San Francisco office can be 
  found here: http://www.acceleratedcure.org/common/directions-sf.php

o We had a number of meetings with various people:
  - Sarah met with Matt Haines at Teva Neuroscience to explore interest 
    in sponsorship of the Annual Event San Francisco
  - Sarah spoke at a Biogen Patient Marketing Seminar in Monterey, CA
  - Sarah met with Amanda Montague of the Multiple Sclerosis Association 
    of America to discuss how the two organizations could work together 
    in California
  - Sarah attended MS Friends' Rock for MS fundraising event
  -  Art flew out to San Francisco to set up the San Francisco office and 
    visited several people with Sarah while in town including folks at 
    23andMe, NASA, and MS Friends.
  - Melissa and Sara had lunch with Cindy Goodenberger at Teva 
    Neuroscience to catch up on what each of us are working on.
  - Jane and Melissa had lunch with volunteer Tracey Cleversey whose been 
    a great help to us recently.
  - Melissa had dinner with MS Cure Fund board members Deb Cooper and
    Ann Murray. 
  - Melissa met with Jennifer Carrien and John Hughes of the Boston 
    Bruins regarding support from the Bruins foundation and a possible
    fundraiser. 
  - Sarah met with the Tri-Valley and Oakland African Americans MS 
    support groups and gave presentations on Accelerated Cure Project.
  - Sarah met with Cynthia Bailey of Serono to explore ways in which we 
    can partner on educational programs in the San Francisco area.

    
o Art and Melissa traveled to Ohio stopping in Columbus and Cincinnati
  to meet a number of supporters including Sandy Siegel of the
  Transverse Myelitis Foundation, Scientific Advisor Dr. Michael
  Racke, and volunteers Kemp Jaycox, Christina Urbanowicz, Chris
  Romano, and Debbie Mann.

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 November 29: Join the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club at Iridesse in Boston
  for complimentary cocktails, hors d'oeurvres, shopping, and
  more. 10% of purchases all day will benefit Accelerated Cure
  Project.
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20071129_iridesse.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

Previous Events

o A big thank you to sisters Debra Lynne and Nancy Katz-Eder for
  hosting the Barbara Ann Cohen Katz Memorial Tribute Dinner on
  September 15th in memory of their mother and in support of
  Accelerated Cure Project.

o Congratulations to the Greater Cincinnati Cure Project for putting
  on another fantastic Canine Happy Hour and raising $18,000 for
  Accelerated Cure Project.  For pictures and more information, click
  here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20070908_canine.php

o Congratulations also to Patricia Phelps and her dedicated committee
  for hosting the Benefit Concert to Cure MS at Ithaca College which
  raised over $4,000.  For pictures and more information, click here:
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/events/eventpages/20070916_ithaca.php

o Congratulations to Mike Yashko for completing the Marine Corps
  Marathon in Arlington Virginia on October 28th in support of
  Accelerated Cure Project!  To date, Mike and his family have raised
  over $120,000 for Accelerated Cure Project and funds for Mike's run
  are still coming in.

o A big thanks to Marion Leeds Carroll for hosting the Sing to Cure MS
  classical music concert on October 28th, an event she has now
  produced five years in row, which features a vastly talented and
  dedicated group of singers and musicians.

>>> Operations

o The Fall 2007 issue of our newsletter has been printed and will be
  arriving in mailboxes shortly.  An online PDF of the newsletter can
  be viewed here
  http://www.acceleratedcure.org/downloads/acp-update-vol0603.pdf
  
o Contributed Goods & Services

  Clockwork Design Group, Inc
  Cold Spring Harbor Labs
  Jennifer Downing
  Lisa Velardo
  Peter Monaghan
  Scott Tamosunas


>>> Volunteer Efforts Reported Last Month

VOLUNTEERS

*Admin*
Bonnie Hakkinen
Kelly Novak
Tracey Cleversey

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

*Benefit Concert to Cure MS 2007*
Pat Phelps
Deirdre Yavorsky
Sue Hooks
Ryan Salisbury
Sandi Lowe
Betty House
Leon Phelps
Kim Sanderson
Dan Wald
Mike Unis
Sandy Simkin
Julie Ruocco

*Community Building*
Martine Assaf

*Dance to Cure MS 2008*
Deb DuFault

*Health and Beauty Fair*
Cher Kore

*Movie Display Auctions*
Jeff Shapiro

*San Francisco Annual Event*
Vicki Frasier
Sherri Taylor

*5th Annual Sing to Cure MS*
Marion Leeds Carroll

*Nonotuck Cyclocross Race*
Mark Stotz

*Boston Annual Event*
Debbie Mellor

*Greater Cincinnati Cure Project Canine Happy Hour 2007*
Cindy Fink
Amy Grof
Kemp Jaycox
Debbie Mann
Mary Owensby
Peggy Shannon
Jodi Supinski
Christina Urbanowicz
Ryan Limke
Sherry Angelo
Becky Bashor
Kent Bashor
Jessica Bergholz
Robyn Clayton
Meg Chase
Kevin Ghassomian
Angie Gross
Jennifer Hall
Mark Harrington
Phyllis Kadle
Austin Koehler
CeCe Kohl
Dan & Heidi Leugers
Craig Mann
Charles Mann
Brian McConnell
Kim McConnell
Kathleen Mueller
Gordon Perry
Steve Pruett
Mike Rader
Nikki Rader
Steve Rawlins
Betty Schuermann
Tom Schuermann
Hugo Soria
Katie Spacek

*Stilettos & Martinis"
Kevin Nolan

**Repository**
Bonnie Hakkinen

**Admin**
Bonnie Hakkinen
Kelly Novak
Tracey Cleversey

**Sing to Cure MS**
Marion Leeds Carroll
Lyman Opie

**Marine Corps Marathon**
Mike Yashko

**Boston Annual Event 2007**
Debbie Mellor
Nancy Costello
Jeff Shapiro
Tracey Cleversey
Jane Shapiro

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

** Benefit Concert to Cure MS* *
Pat Phelps
Ryan Salisbury

** Dance to Cure MS **
Deb DuFault

** Health and Beauty Fair **
Cher Kore

**Letter Writing Campiagns**
Pat Phelps
Lauren Smith

**Community Building**
Martine Assaf
Asha Mellor
Debbie Mann
Kemp Jaycox
Cindy Fink

**Friendraiser**
Mary Brewer

**San Francisco Annual Event 2007**
Kerry Roach
Vicki Fraser
Marie Slevin
Andrea Dowdall

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