Bettendorf, IA - The North Central States Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society will hold its annual walk MS in Bettendorf on Saturday, May 8, 2010.

More than 500 walkers are expected to come out and help raise the goal of $40,250.  Funds raised will support direct services for the more than 8,000 people with MS and their families in the North Central States Chapter area and national MS research to find a cure for this chronic disease of the central nervous system.

Walk MS: Bettendorf Walk will be entering its 9th year. Walkers will participate in a 3 mile walk, and the festivities will take off and end at the Veteran Memorial Park in Bettendorf with lunch being served following the walk. Registration will open at 8:00 am and the walk will begin at 10:00 am. People can participate in walk MS individually, as a team, or as a virtual walker. Volunteers are also needed!

• • WHAT: Walk MS: Quad Cities Walk to benefit the North Central States Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

WHEN: Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 10:00 am

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Park

• • REGISTRATION: Visit www.myMSwalk.org, call 319-447-1800 or email Emily.hoover@nmss.org

• • WHY: Proceeds raised will benefit the North Central States Chapter of the National MS Society.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

• The National MS Society helps each person address the challenges of living with MS through our 50-state network of chapters.

• Through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we fund more MS research, provide more services to people with MS, offer more professional education and further more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world.

• The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS.  We are people who want to do something about MS now.  Join the movement at www.nationalmssociety.org.

About Multiple Sclerosis

• 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 advancement, 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.

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In this trying time of economic challenge for so many families---and especially for families with young adults in college---even coming home for the holidays can be a stressful event.

Today's students are under an unprecedented amount of pressure to make the best grades possible, at all costs, even to the detriment of their peace of mind and moral code.

Add to THAT the underlying worries of world unrest, climate change, and an uncertain economic future.

Parents wonder, will our kids have jobs in their fields when they graduate? At every turn, parents are reminded how hard their children will have to work in order to carve out a life that will sustain them.

"Today's families are under a formidable amount of stress," says parenting expert and author Malcolm Gauld. "How are they to connect with the peaceful spirit of giving thanks, as the family comes together Thanksgiving weekend? Even trying to connect to and hold on to that good feeling can be a pressure."

Malcolm and his wife Laura Gauld are co-authors of the parenting book The Biggest Job We'll Ever Have and the Biggest Job parenting seminars. They also run Hyde Schools, a network of prep schools in Maine and Connecticut that has led the way in character education for over four decades.

"In our increasingly achievement-oriented culture, we tend to mark the time with our awards, diplomas, new car or sports victory, like the Homecoming Game," says Malcolm. "These things may be great
memories, but they will not sustain a family's joy over time. In the end, it's not our material successes or achievements that will inspire our families."

"In an ever changing world that seems to be moving faster and faster, the things that most nourish us and keep us close to the thanksgiving spirit tend to be found in the things that really keep us connected, person to person," Laura adds. "Often these are the things that do not change, the aspects of our lives that are constant."

What can parents do to help the family connect to the more meaningful and memorable opportunities of the season?

The Gaulds have some tips:

1. Don't sweat the small stuff. During a jam-packed weekend, especially one that we've been waiting
for, it's easy to build those Kodak-moment expectations and get stuck on the details that have to be 'perfect'---the dinner, the house, the decorations, what time people arrive, what the kids have planned, and so forth," says Laura.

"Don't sweat the details---the stress will rob you of the opportunity to be present, to experience joy and spontaneity with your family. Know when to take hold and when to let go of priorities throughout the weekend. As parents, the more we try to control the order of events, the less hold we actually have."

2. Take some time to build family traditions. The big picture of raising children is done with the actions, routines, and practices that make up a lifetime of memories and habits. Often, the value of these actions is seen looking back at one's upbringing.

"It's not the amount of time you will spend together at Thanksgiving, or any holiday, that will be important---it's what you will do with it," says Laura. "Build special memories through traditions, old or new. If Grandma made a certain dish every year, then make it together with your kids. If you want to get everyone out of the house to enjoy nature, initiate an annual hike to a favorite place. These are the things that, over time, will be cherished."

"And remember, you can be in charge of the turkey---but you don't have to do everything yourself," adds Malcolm. "Kids love to be involved. Let them help with the weekend plans and preparations. Think of a special project they can be responsible for. Kids enjoy being trusted participants in the family gathering, and it helps to build their self-esteem. It also introduces them to the idea of carrying on the family traditions themselves when they are adults."

3. Allow obstacles to become opportunities. When things go wrong---and they always go wrong---try to keep your sense of humor and positive attitude about you. Be open to the ways in which challenges and failures can become opportunities for growth, learning, conversation and camaraderie. And be aware of what can be fixed and what can't.

"If you ruin your turkey, or get a flat tire on your way to your Aunt Louise's house with the family, the meal can be changed and the flat can be fixed," says Malcolm. "Don't let your disappointment or your stress weigh down the event. Allow for plans to change, and use your imagination to find communal joy by sharing stories, memories, and ideas for celebrating another way if need be. Be creative."

4. Finally, when the holiday is over, continue to gather for regular meals. "Studies clearly indicate that the experience of sharing a daily meal as a family helps to increase self-esteem in teenagers, and
decreases the chances of depression and even drug use," says Laura. "Often we are so busy that parents eat on the run, and so do the kids. But we cannot underestimate the power of a shared meal. So don't wait for a special occasion. Make the effort to have dinner together regularly as family. And light the candles."

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Less Smoking Leads to More Birthdays

ATLANTA - November 5, 2009 - As the official sponsor of birthdays, the American Cancer Society marks the 34th Great American Smokeout on November 19 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life - one that can lead to reducing cancer risk and creating more birthdays. Researchers say that quitting smoking can increase life expectancy - smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight years of life expectancy; those who quit at age 55 gain about five years; and even long term smokers who quit at 65 gain three years ¹ . Smokers who want to quit can call the American Cancer Society Quit For Life® Program operated and managed by Free & Clear® at 1-800-227-2345 for tobacco cessation and coaching services that can help increase their chances of quitting for good.

Research shows that people who stop smoking before age 50 can cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who continue to smoke. Smokers who quit also reduce their risk of lung cancer - ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. Some of the health effects of quitting are almost instant, too - heart rate and blood pressure drop 20 minutes after quitting.

"We know that quitting smoking is tough and that most smokers have to try several times before quitting for good," said Alan G. Thorson, MD, FACS, national volunteer president for the American Cancer Society. "The American Cancer Society offers a variety of effective resources ranging from online tips and tools to personalized telephone coaching by trained specialists. We hope that smokers will use the Great American Smokeout to map out a course of action that will help them to quit, and in turn to stay well and celebrate more birthdays."

The Great American Smokeout Web site (www.cancer.org/GreatAmericans) contains user-friendly tips and tools towards a smoke-free life. In addition to tip sheets and calculators, the site also offers downloadable desktop helpers to assist with planning to quit and succeeding in staying tobacco-free. The Quit Clock allows users to pick a quit day within 30 days, then counts down the selected day with tips for each day; and the Craving Stopper helps smokers beat cravings by offering a fun distraction. The American Cancer Society created the trademarked concept for and held its first Great American Smokeout in 1976 as a way to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for a day. One million people quit smoking for a day at the 1976 event in California. The Great American Smokeout encourages smokers to commit to making a long-term plan to quit smoking for good.

Important facts about tobacco use:

• Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.
• Cigarette smoking accounts for about 443,000 premature deaths - including 49,400 in nonsmokers.
• Thirty percent of cancer deaths, including 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, can be attributed to tobacco.
• Smoking also accounts for $193 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses.
• Great progress is being made in reducing tobacco use in the U.S., with adult smoking rates in 2007 declining among all adults to 19.8 percent.

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation's largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, about 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

¹Taylor DH et al., Benefits of smoking cessation for longevity. American Journal of Public Health 92:990-996 (2002)