Portland, ME (July 7, 2010) - The Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will kick off its 29th annual MS Harborfest on Thursday, August 19th, with events running through Sunday, August 22nd. Verrill Dana, LLP and Bangor Savings Bank are proud to serve as leading sponsors of the event. MS Harborfest welcomes Maine magazine as this year's media sponsor. The proceeds from this four-day event will benefit the local chapter in its efforts to help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and to provide assistance, programs, and support for the more than 3,000 Maine families who live with the disease. Approximately one in every 400 Maine residents has been diagnosed with MS, a prevalence rate approximately 70% higher than the national average.
On Thursday, August 19th, a Benefit Auction, featuring popular auctioneer Tom Saturley, and held at the Ocean Gateway on Portland's Waterfront, will begin the weekend's festivities. Hundreds of unique items, donated by local artists and merchants, will be auctioned.
On the evening of Friday, August 20th, a Skippers and Sponsors Meeting and Reception for the Regatta will be held at Handyboat in Falmouth.
Saturday, August 21st will welcome the 29th annual MS Harborfest Parade of Sail and Regatta to Portland Harbor. The cornerstone of the Harborfest weekend, the regatta draws more than 100 boats. The MS Regatta is the largest regatta in Maine, and the largest charity sailing event in the Northeast.
On Saturday, Casco Bay will also host the MS Harborfest Powerboat Poker Run. Participants are encouraged to "dress ship" with decorations and costumes. After a parade around Portland Harbor, boats travel to area marinas (with each destination featuring a theme and giveaways) to pick up a card-stop tag before tying up at DiMillo's Marina for a barbeque and awards ceremony. Participants without boats are invited to take part in the fun at DiMillos after the Poker Run.
Sunday, August 22nd will welcome the MS Harborfest Tugboat Parade and Muster and Shoreside Festival, to be held at the Portland Ocean Terminal and Maine State Pier. Gates will open to the public at 10:00 am, with the line throwing, heavy line, and knots and splices competitions beginning at 11:00 am. Survival suit races, which are always a crowd pleaser, will begin at Noon. The Tugboat Parade will begin at 1:00 pm, with races commencing at 1:30 pm.
This year also brings Lobster Boat Races to Portland! The races will begin at 10:00 am on Sunday, August 22nd, and may be viewed from the Eastern Promenade.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. 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 progress, severity and specific symptons of MS in any given 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 people worldwide.
About the Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds more MS research, provides more services to people with MS, offers more professional education, and furthers more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement by clicking here.
About Verrill Dana
Verrill Dana, LLP is a full service law firm with more than 100 attorneys conducting a nationwide practice from our offices and Portland and Augusta, Maine; Boston; Hartford; and Washington, DC.
Contact: Gretchen A. Johnson (207/253-4874) or Sue Tidd (207/781-7960)