PURCELL and OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 31, 2006 – Ask DeeAnn Simpson about the charity bike ride she started in 2001, and a smile brightens her face. She may tell you about the many riders who’ve joined the fight against multiple sclerosis. Or perhaps she’ll elaborate on the homemade baked goods—including her mother’s cinnamon rolls—awaiting bikers at rest stops.

The annual Star Bike ride will take place in Purcell on Sept. 23. Proceeds will benefit MS research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. And for the sixth straight year, Simpson will be involved in every aspect of the event, which she organizes with fellow members of the Order of the Eastern Star.

From Simpson’s sunny demeanor, you’d never know that MS has taken a very real toll on her family, striking her former husband. He is one of about 400,000 Americans who suffers from MS, which attacks the body’s central nervous system and can lead to impaired vision, cognitive functioning and a wide range of other problems.

"My sons and I stood by helplessly as their father battled MS,” she said. “It was heartbreaking to watch his rapid deterioration, and I want to do everything I can to make sure that the disease never strikes my children.”

For many years, the state’s Eastern Star chapters provided financial support to the Masonic Home in Guthrie. After the home closed a few years ago, Eastern Star selected OMRF to receive its funding. A third-generation Eastern Star member, Simpson specifically started the bike ride—which now attracts about 100 riders—to introduce the organization to the general public while allowing members to meet new people.

The event has raised $12,000 for OMRF. Statewide, the Eastern Star has donated a total of $98,000 to support research at OMRF.

The bike ride has become a family affair for Simpson. Her sons, Aaron and Jeremy, volunteer before, during and after the ride. And her mother, Catharine, pitches in to promote the event by hanging posters in shop windows and overseeing mass mailings; she also bakes treats that she passes out to riders.

“We’re just aiming for a good time, a good family ride. But we don’t want it to get too big, because then mother might not have enough cinnamon rolls at her rest stop,” said Simpson, smiling.

“When multiple sclerosis struck DeeAnn Simpson’s family, she chose to transform adversity into an opportunity to help,” said Meredith Miers, a development officer at OMRF. “Through her efforts and those of her fellow Eastern Star members, scientists at OMRF are making a difference in the fight against MS.”

Led by Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., scientists at OMRF are currently investigating the role that a common cold virus may play in bringing about MS. If they are able to establish that this virus (known as Epstein-Barr virus) triggers the disease in some people, it could lead to more effective treatments—and perhaps even a vaccine—for the disease.

The Star Bike Ride begins at 8 a.m. Sept. 23 and features 10-, 23- and 53-mile courses. Registration starts at 7 a.m. For more information, visit www.starride.info.

About OMRF:
Celebrating its 60th birthday in 2006, OMRF (www.omrf.org) is a nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and curing human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease. It is home to Oklahoma’s only member of the National Academy of Sciences.