Multiple sclerosis Diagnosis : 2008 MS Harborfest Weekend Plans Announced

Multiple sclerosis Diagnosis : PORTLAND, Maine (July 30, 2008) – The Maine Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will kick off its 27th Annual MS Harborfest weekend beginning Thursday, August 14th continuing through Sunday, August 17th. The proceeds from this four-day waterfront event go to the local chapter to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis and to provide programs, assistance, and support for the 3,000 Maine families who live with the disease. Approximately one in every 400 Maine residents has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a prevalence rate approximately 70% higher than the national average.

“The Portland based law firm Verrill Dana, LLP is now returning for its fifth year as the overall title sponsor of the Harborfest weekend,” says Denise Clavette, president of the Maine Chapter of the National MS Society.  “And Bangor Savings Bank signed on as event sponsor for three weekend events; the MS Benefit auction, Shoreside Festival and Tugboat Muster.”

On Thursday evening, August 14th from 5:00-9:00 PM, a Benefit Auction featuring popular auctioneer Tom Saturley will start the weekend celebration at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth. There will be hundreds of unique items donated by local artists and merchants. “The MS Harborfest Auction is a terrific way to support the Maine Chapter of the National MS Society’s mission to fund local programs and research and to ultimately find a cure for multiple Sclerosis.  Bangor Savings Bank is proud to be the event sponsor of the auction for the third consecutive year” says John Edwards, MS Auction Committee chair and executive vice president and chief banking officer for Bangor Savings Bank.

On Friday evening, August 15th, a Sponsor and Skippers’ Reception for the sailboat regatta will take place at Handy Boat in Falmouth.

On Saturday, August 16th, the 27th Annual MS Harborfest Parade of Sail and Regatta will take place in Portland Harbor.  The cornerstone of the Harborfest weekend, the regatta draws more than a hundred boats, displaying their colors with skippers, crew and sponsors aboard.  The MS Harborfest Regatta is the largest regatta in Maine and the largest charity sailing event in the Northeast. The MS Harborfest Regatta is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich, CT.

Also on Saturday, the MS Harborfest Powerboat Poker Run will take place on Casco Bay. Participants are encouraged to “dress ship” with decorations or costumes. After a parade around Portland Harbor, boats travel to area marinas (where each stop will feature a theme and giveaways) to pick up a card-stop tag before tying up at DeMillo’s Marina for a barbeque and awards ceremony.  But participants don’t need a boat to join the fun, cards can be purchased at the door and include admission to the party, which will take place under the tent, rain or shine.

On Sunday, August 17th, the annual MS Harborfest Tugboat Parade and Muster and MS Harborfest Shoreside Festival will take place on the Maine State Pier. The tugboats will be docked at the Maine State Pier, surrounded by a festival featuring survival suit races, exhibitions, food and entertainment for the whole family.  At 2:00 PM, the tugboats will line up for an impressive parade, after which, they’ll participate in exciting competitions and races on Casco Bay.  Admission to the Shoreside Festival is free.

“The MS Harborfest is a wonderful celebration of our waterfront and of our coastal culture” says K.C. Jones, Managing Partner of Verrill Dana, “but more importantly, it raises the funds needed to support our friends and neighbors who are affected, directly or indirectly, by this devastating disease.”

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.

About the Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society offers 50 state network chapters and helps those living with MS address the challenges of living with the disease. The National MS Society funds more MS research, provides more services to people with MS, offers more professional education and furthers more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. The Maine Chapter represents an estimated 3,000 people with MS in the state. Join the movement at www.nationalmssociety.org and visit the Maine Chapter at www.msmaine.org.

About Verrill Dana

Verrill Dana, LLP is a full service law firm with more than 100 attorneys conducting a nationwide practice from offices in Portland, Augusta, and Kennebunk, Maine; Boston; Hartford; and Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit our website at www.verrilldana.com.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Tags:verrill dana,verrill dana attorneys,verrill dana law firm,verrill dana lawyers

Related posts

• Multiple sclerosis Diagnosis : 2008 MS Harborfest Weekend Plans Announced (0)