Under the Hood – You and Your Car

I want to get away from car repairs briefly to talk about Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The reason is that during the month of February Young Automotive is donating $5 from every full service oil change to the local MS Chapter. To show support for an ongoing project, Young Automotive has teamed up with Paul Stoltman of the Neighborhood Pub. The Neighborhood Pub is donating $3 from every pizza to the local MS Chapter. For the last 20 years Paul has been helping raise money for the local MS Chapter and this is the third year in a row that we have teamed up to help Paul’s effort.

The following information was provided by the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society:

In Wisconsin, more than 10,000 people live with MS. It is a chronic and often disabling disease, affecting the central nervous system. MS often strikes people between the ages of 20 and 50, and its symptoms are unpredictable, ranging from numbness and fatigue, to paralysis and loss of vision. It is also a financially devastating disease, costing an estimated $57,000 per person annually in the state. While more than 90 percent of people with MS have worked at sometime in their lives, and more than 60 percent are working at the time of diagnosis, only 20-30 percent remain in the workforce 10 to 15 years down the road. Moreover, 20-25 percent of people with MS will need long-term care. Truly, the physical, emotional and financial hardships endured by people with MS are significant.

Despite the unpredictable and wide-ranging effects of MS, there have been great advances in medical treatment. Drug therapies are now available which curb the harmful physical effects of the disease.

The National MS Society, Wisconsin Chapter provides a variety of programs and services for people with MS, including Camp for Kids (developed to give children who have a parent with MS an opportunity to participate in a local summer camp), MS Scholarship program (providing educational scholarships for people who have MS or for children of a parent with MS), as well as numerous educational and outreach workshops and seminars. The Wisconsin Chapter also provides peer support and referral services for people who have MS.

It is for these reasons I urge you to help us raise money for a cure by simply getting an oil change at Young Automotive during February. You can make the difference. For more information about the Wisconsin MS Chapter, go to http://www.nationalmssociety.org/WIG/home/.