RE/MAX CONNECTION JOINS THE RIDE TO FIGHT MS IN “CITY TO SHORE” EVENT

“It’s as easy as riding a bike.” This phrase is used all the time to describe a task that is not normally that difficult to complete.

However, instead of just riding that bike down the street or around the block, how about doing so for 150 miles over two days? Still think of that as “easy?”

Now, imagine attempting to complete that same 150 miles while suffering from multiple sclerosis, the chronic central nervous system disease that affects nearly half a million Americans. This gives you a whole new perspective on the “as easy as” analogy.

There are more than 13,000 residents of the Delaware Valley living with MS on a daily basis and, for them; the normal tasks of everyday life are anything but easy.

This is why South Jersey’s leading real estate agency – RE/MAX Connection Realtors – has joined forces with the Outdoor Club of South Jersey to compete in this September’s “MS 150 City to Shore Ride 2011.”

The annual two-day fundraiser, sponsored by the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is being held this year on Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25 and runs across South Jersey from Cherry Hill to Ocean City.

“We always try to give back as much as we can to the communities we serve,” said RE/MAX Connection CEO Christopher J. Brown. “It’s important for us to live by the belief that ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’.”

More than 7,000 bicyclists are expected to participate as the local chapter hopes to collect more than $5 million this year to fight the disease and help make life a little easier for those afflicted.

There are 100-mile, 75-mile, 45-mile and 25-mile routes that can be selected on each of the days and overnight accommodations are available at the shore for Saturday night the 24th. The nationally recognized event has been named the “Best Cycling Getaway in NJ” by Bicycling Magazine.

The RE/MAX Connection team has set personal goals for this September of 50 participants and $60,000 in donations. One of the team’s three co-captains, RE/MAX Connection’s Stephen Clyde, sees multiple benefits coming from the September City to Shore Ride.

“We know that riding 150 miles is nowhere near as difficult as confronting a lifetime with multiple sclerosis,” said Clyde, who works out of the RE/MAX Connection office in Marlton, “but it’s the least we can do to help support the valuable research and support programs the money we raise will provide.

“In addition to helping support a very worthwhile cause,” he continued, “it’s a great way to have fun, meet new people and get a great two-day cardio workout.”

The other two co-captains of the RE/MAX Connection Realtors team are Brenda Richmond, a fellow Realtor of Clyde’s at the agency’s Marlton office, and Barbra-Jo Swingle, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey.

There’s currently a $45 entry fee to compete in the race (it goes up to $50 on August 25th), but anyone joining the RE/MAX Connection Realtors team will pay only $20. The agency will pay the remainder of the fee. In order to compete on the day of the race, each rider must collect a minimum of $300 in donations. RE/MAX Connection team members who reach the minimum fundraising goal also will receive a free team jersey.

The two-day ride is fully supported with catered rest stops every 15 miles and, if necessary, bike support, repair and transportation. The RE/MAX Connection team expects to have a tent at both the start in Cherry Hill and the finish line in Ocean City. There also will be a pre-race team dinner on Friday, September 23 and plans are in the works for a team BBQ sometime this summer.

For more information, contact any of the three team co-captains by email: Stephen Clyde at stephen@teamclyde.com, Brenda Richmond at barichmond@aol.com or Barbra-Jo Swingle at bjswingle@gmail.com, or you can visit the official team website at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/PAEBikeEvents?team_id=258045&pg=team&fr_id=16131.

RE/MAX Connection - Marlton is at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ 08053. Phone: (856) 988-1800. Fax: (856) 988-8020. RE/MAX Connection - Mantua is located at 660 Woodbury-Glassboro Road, Suite 26A, Sewell, NJ 08080. Phone: (856) 415-1210. Fax: (856) 415-1291. RE/MAX Connection – Turnersville is at 5701 Route 42, Turnersville, NJ 08012. Phone: 856-228-7990. Fax: 856-228-4433.

All three offices can be found at the www.goconnectionnj.com website.