Beachcombers Corvette Club donates to MS Society

The Beachcombers Corvette Club of Southern Delaware presented a check in the amount of $5,500 to the Delaware Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Oct. 4 at the CHEER Center in Georgetown.

Kate Cowperthwait, president of the Delaware chapter of the MS Society, said, “I thought nothing would surprise me anymore, but this surprises me,” indicating the check being presented to her.

The Beachcombers held an MS walk June 1 and a car show Aug. 18 at First State Chevrolet to raise the funds for this sizeable donation.

Gloria Mills, a member of the Beachcombers, said, “I’m really honored that the president of the MS Society came down.”

The Beachcombers have representatives from various charities and organizations present their need on a yearly basis to determine to whom they should donate. This year, the Beachcombers were split between three agencies and made contributions to the MS Society, Chimes, an agency which helps people with varying disabilities, and Home of the Brave, an agency which helps homeless veterans.

Cowperthwait discussed the advances in treatment that have occurred in her 20 years as president of the society.

“When I first started, the joke was diagnose and adios,” Cowperthwait said. Since then advances in medicine have offered seven treatments, she added. “I think in my lifetime, I’m going to see a cure for this,” she put in optimistically.

The MS society also offers scholarships to high school seniors either with MS or who have a close family member with MS who plan on attending college. Last year they were able to offer 12 scholarships, up from nine the previous year.

Applications for the scholarship are available at nationalmssociety.org, and need to be filled out before Jan. 1, 2013.