RUN AS ONE

Dear Friends, Family,

To start things off, I must say, I'm Blessed, I do volunteer work in my area. I serve at my church, currently I'm a Host serving on Sundays as a teacher for our 4th & 5^th graders in our Kids Church and on occasion I will serve Wednesday nights helping with our middle & high school students in our youth service. I'm a facilitator for a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) self-help group. I’ve been on the board/committee for the Coachella Valley Walk MS and I was the President of the PTO for my daughter's elementary school for four years. She is in High School now. In the past I occasionally tutored at the local H.S. and for a brief time while I was in the Marine Corps, I was even an online history teacher for Central Texas College. I have a 15 year old daughter and a 28 yr old son and I sponsor a 12 year old girl in Honduras. I was married for 11 years and divorced in Dec. 08. I was in the Navy Reserve for 4yrs and Active duty in the Marine Corps for 12 years and had to separate/retire for medical reasons. I was diagnosed with MS in 94 but was able to stay in the Corps until 03. I retired as a Major..

 

Okay that is enough about my present/past; now on to my near future. I am very excited and proud to say that I am participating in Run MS in the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) on Oct. 27!  My friend Lynn Petry and I are a Team. Lynn will be running and pushing me in a Road Race Wheelchair for 26.2 miles. Lynn was already registered for the MCM when she asked me to join her. I was happy to accept. This is so far out of our comfort zones it’s scary. But truth be told, it’d be scarier if we didn’t, we are like minded achievers. This is and will be an interesting journey. She asked me to join her in the MCM in part because I am a Marine and because she and I have been partners in a couple of Klemmer and Associates’ leadership conferences. We are participating under the MS banner because I have MS.

The National MS Society is committed to building a movement by and for people with MS that will move us closer to a world free of this disease. Donations collected for Run MS continuously fund research for a cure, while also providing services and support for those currently living with MS. I am riding this year because I believe in the mission of the National MS Society. More than 2.1 million people live with MS worldwide and every donation will help us find a cure.

I am very excited and proud to say that I am participating in Run MS in the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) on Oct. 27, 2013 in Washington D.C.! I am asking you to Join the Movement® by making a contribution to support the efforts of my friend Lynn Petry and I. Having MS has resulted to my being confined to a wheelchair;  Lynn asked me if I would honor her by allowing her to run with and for me by pushing me thru the course in a road race wheelchair.  Lynn’s thought was this particular marathon, because I am a retired Marine.  This is where “run as one” was born. You can make a secure, online donation here. Please help by making a donation. Join me and Lynn as together (As One) we can create a world free of MS. I greatly appreciate your support and I will keep you posted on our progress. 

You can make a secure, online donation here. Go to my personal page. Join me, and together we can create a world free of MS. I greatly appreciate your support and I will keep you posted on my progress.

 

Sincerely,

Richard Batiste

 

Go to my personal page and make a secure, online donation.

To send a donation: Make all checks payable to: National MS Society Mail to:
Richard Batiste
47719 Avocado Ct
Indio, CA 92201-9120

MS doesn't wait. Neither should you! Run to create a world free of  MS