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Plano insider
Sunday, July 13, 2008
For the past 23 years, Susan Ritter has
been living with multiple sclerosis, a
chronic disease affecting the nervous
system.
"I sat around and thought, 'oh woe is
me, this is so bad," said Susan of the
first 10years.
What changed her outlook on life,
however, was not only the evolving
research done in drugs and therapy, but
also her participation in the local
multiple sclerosis walk held in Addison
every year, around the end of March.
To raise money for their team, the
Ritter Rovers, Susan began holding
several large garage sales. although she
raised $1,000 for the walk, her son
Bobby thought they could do better.
"My son came to me one day and said , 'I
could do a golf tournament and raise a
lot more money than this for a lot less
work,'" Susan said.
Bobby, who was 37 at the time,
envisioned a golf tournament, he said,
because he had so many friends who not
only play golf but also participate in
tournaments.
Held at the Sherrill Park golf course in
Richardson, the fourth annual Susan
Ritter Golf Classic will be on September
5th. By having the tournament at a
public course and $100 per person, the
Ritters hope the tournament will be
affordable for more people.
The tournament raised $3,500 its first
year with only 14 teams and $6,000 the
second. With 19 teams last year, the
tournament managed to raise $10,000 for
multiple sclerosis.
Bobby chose to name the tournament after
his mother, despite her protests, to
honor her and her struggle with multiple
sclerosis. Since the disease often
limits movement control as well as other
functions of the body, Bobby has seen
his mother go from being bedridden to
being able to walk with a cane.
"Seeing how much the drugs and therapy
and doctors have helped her... it make
you want to raise more and more
money," Bobby said.
The experimental therapies and advances
in medicine, he said, are helped funded
by donations from people like the
Ritters.
To help spread the word about the golf
tournament, the Ritters post information
at Sherrill Park and local golf shops
and send out emails to friends. Most of
it, Bobby said, is word of mouth.
In addition to the tournament, the
Ritters raise money by applying for
grants and corporate sponsors. According
to Susan, they have been successful in
obtaining grants form companies
producing drugs for multiple sclerosis
in the past. Last year, the Ritters
received $1,000 from Biogen, the maker
of Avonex, which Susan takes to help
treat her multiple sclerosis. This year,
Susan has already received donations
from many local Wal-Marts.
For her, raising money to help find a
cure for multiple sclerosis is well
worth the effort to find sponsors.
"It makes me feel good in my heart," she
said.
To donate to the Ritters' team or to
participate in the golf tournament,
contact Susan Ritter at
sbritter@verizon.net or Bobby Ritter
at (281) 937-7079
ritterrl1@comcast.net
By Phoebe Wu
Staff Writer |
