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Peoples Health Adds Virtual Team to Bike MS: Louisiana O
n Oct. 5, as cyclists gather at the starting line for the 2013 Bike MS: Louisiana, Peoples Health team captain Erin Hulin and co-captain Alexis Martin can relax a bit. Unlike other participants, their minds will not be consumed with energy-saving strategies or pedaling through Louisiana’s scenic terrain. In fact, they won’t even have their bikes with them; by time the event begins, Hulin and Martin will have already completed their 150-mile ride. For the first time, the two are taking part in the National MS Society’s Virtual Cyclist program, designed for individuals who are interested in fundraising through Bike MS, but unable to ride 150 miles in one weekend. It’s truly virtual; riders can do it anywhere at any time. Hulin and Martin will bike 150 miles at their own pace, on their own time and indoors on stationary bikes. The program has been a blessing for Hulin and Martin, who are not only co-workers, but were both diagnosed with MS a couple of years ago. “This is a great program, especially for someone who wants to take part but can’t because of a
health condition,” Martin said. “I might not be able to handle the heat to ride outside, but I can ride in the gym as a virtual rider and still be a part of the team. That’s important to me. I believe in doing anything that helps spread the word about MS with the hope that eventually these fundraisers
lead to a cure and a world free of MS.” Hulin said the virtual cyclist program will get a big push thanks to Peoples Health, a Metairie, La.-based Medicare Advantage organization with more than 750 employees serving Medicare beneficiaries in southeast Louisiana. Because Peoples Health contracts with many health and fitness centers in its service area, the company hopes to spread the word through the centers and get more people signed up to
participate. As for Hulin, the virtual cyclist program is one of several fundraisers she will participate in this year while she continues to organize other company events to support the National MS Society. As an advocate and MS liaison for Peoples Health, Hulin plans “Lunch & Learns” for employees to find out more about multiple sclerosis; she also created Jeans Day, where employees can pay a fee to dress down. In addition, she leads the Peoples Health “Our Hope” team that participates in the yearly Walk MS: New Orleans. “It’s been a lot of work, but all of it has been worthwhile,” Hulin said. “Peoples Health is extremely supportive and that support starts at the top. The encouragement I get from everyone I work with is tremendous and unwavering, and that gives me hope for my future and encourages me to be optimistic as I live with MS.”
For more information on the 2013 Bike MS: Louisiana ride – including how you can participate, volunteer or donate – visit bikeMSlouisiana.org.
Moving Toward A World Free of MS
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