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Friday, May 31, 1996

Celebrity fundraiser aims to speed efforts at discovering cureBy Rachel Kelley

Daily Bruin Contributor

The Fourth Annual Race To Erase MS, a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis featuring numerous professional athletes and celebrities, will kick off Saturday at 9 a.m. at Drake Stadium.

The purpose of this sporting event is to raise money and promote public awareness of the disease, said Nancy Davis, the event organizer and UCLA alumna who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The competition is closely modeled after "Battle of the Network Stars" and will feature stars Shaquille O'Neal, Muhammed Ali and Natalie Cole, who will sing the national anthem during the opening ceremony.

Reminiscent of the Olympics, the event will include relays and obstacle courses in which teams comprised of one celebrity, one athlete and five amateur athletes will compete for medals. In addition to the sporting events, spectators can visit booths to take five- minute basketball, hockey and other sports lessons from famous athletes. Paraphernalia will also be sold for those who want autographs.

After four people parachute into Drake Stadium to begin the opening ceremony, the Olympic torch will be run by ex-Olympians, some of whom have MS. The closing ceremony is expected to conclude around 3 p.m., but the activities will continue at the Century Plaza Hotel with stand up comedy, an auction and an appearance by musician Don Henley.

In the past, the event was held on the slopes of Aspen and Vail in Colorado, but Davis decided to move the event to Los Angeles to give it "a permanent home where my home is," she said.

It makes much more sense to hold the fundraiser in Los Angeles because it is where the supporters are and where the research is being conducted, she added.

The fundraiser will be sponsored by the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls, an organization founded three years ago by Davis' parents to speed up the process of finding a cure. All proceeds from the race will go toward funding research for the disease.

"Our ultimate goal is to find a cure (for multiple sclerosis) by 2001," Davis said.

A medical symposium will be held at the James West Center this afternoon to detail the latest in multiple sclerosis research.

Student Volunteers are welcome to assist with hospitality/ VIP services at the sporting competition. Admission is free for student volunteers.

To become a volunteer, call Tamara McCraw at (310) 615-0706. Student ticket prices are $40 with ID. For ticket information, call (310) 440-4842.