Southwest Austin - Dripping Springs Edition | January 2026

Health & wellness

BY JOEL VALLEY

42nd Texas MS 150 aims to raise $11.3M National MS Society ocials are hopeful the 42nd annual Texas MS 150 will generate about $11.3 million for multiple sclerosis initiatives, turning a weekend ride into the organization’s largest fundraising eort of the year. The details toward its prepandemic numbers, according to National MS Society ocials.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, along with some weather cancellations, really hit us as a charity pretty hard,” Garcia said. “We were sitting at $6 million in postpandemic fundraising, so we have been able to add about $1 million a year. We really are on an upward swing, and have a 10-year goal of hitting $20 million by 2035.” The National MS Society is seeking the following ahead of the Texas MS 150: • In-kind and monetary donations • Community partnerships • Sponsors • Approximately 2,000 volunteers across the entirety of the route The outlook Multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the protective covering

Emily Garcia, the assistant vice president of Endurance Events for the National MS Society, said the Texas MS 150—which will run April 25-26— is historically the top fundraising event for the National MS Society. “There are 49 other bike events that are happen- ing around the country, and ours is the largest by more than double,” she said. “The wonderful thing about our event is that we engage communities all across Texas.” Zooming in The Texas MS 150—which once generated about $20 million annually—is steadily climbing back

Participants in a past MS 150 ride across the Loop 150 bridge in Bastrop.

COURTESY NATIONAL MS SOCIETY

of nerves, can cause symptoms from fatigue and numbness to vision problems and mobility challenges, according to the National MS Society. Although early diagnosis is critical, it has histori- cally taken years for patients to receive a diagnosis. “We are now sitting in a space where it takes maybe a few months or up to a year to get diag- nosed,” Garcia said. “So the real goal is that people can receive a diagnosis in just a few days as we continue to do more research.”

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