North Carolina Vending Association

NCVA Partners with the Eastern NC Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society

In 2003 the Board of Directors approved a partnership with the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Their mission is to end the devastating effect of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The National Society was founded in 1946 and is the leading provider of programs for people with MS and their families, friends, caregivers and doctors.

MS is a disease of the central nervous system that strikes young adults in the prime of life – generally between the ages of 20 and 50. Symptoms include numbness, loss of coordination, visual disturbance or blindness, loss of cognitive functioning, debilitating fatigue, as well as extreme pain syndromes and paralysis. An estimated 400,000 Americans have been diagnosed with MS.

The Eastern Chapter serves 2,800 people and offers education, support and wellness programs in a 49-county area from the Triangle and Sandhills to the coast. The money raised supports the mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis through its programs, services and research initiatives.

The Eastern Chapter holds six “MS Walks” fundraisers annually in five locations over three weekends. NCVA provided snacks (over 5,000) for the participants.