Alan Iszauk hadn’t prepared for his first long bike ride.
His friend, Bruce Ungar — they’ve known each other since they were 4 — lost his regular riding partner when his daughter went off to college. So Iszauk agreed to bike the 150-mile Escape to the Lake, a cycling event that raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Exhausted after an extremely hot day and 75 miles under his belt, Iszauk thought that was all he could do; he wasn’t going to bike the second half the next day.
“I was woefully ill-prepared,” the Monroeville resident said. “All I wanted to do was take a shower and die.”
But then, a woman unknown to Iszauk approached, profusely thanking him for what he was doing.
“She told me that she used to do these rides herself, but now spends most of her time in a wheelchair,” Iszauk said.
After that encounter, Iszauk’s mindset changed.
“I couldn’t begin to complain,” he said.
That was roughly 25 years ago. Since then, Iszauk and fellow riders formed the Hungarian ExCycled Racing Team. Iszauk’s cousin, Myles Neiman, has been riding with the team for 18 years. Larry Sachs, who Iszauk recruited when Sachs’ team disbanded, has been with the team for about a decade.
“Larry has single-handedly raised over $500,000 since he’s been riding,” Iszauk said of the attorney and bike mechanic. “He is a relentless fundraiser.”
Like Iszauk, some riders have family members with MS; others live with the disease themselves.
Bike MS is the seventh largest peer-to-peer event in the United States. Each year, more than 35,000 members and 3,500 teams participate in one of 49 rides across the country in support of people with MS and the nonprofit National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Bike MS has raised $1.5 billion for MS research, and 90% of that money comes directly from the individual teams. Some semi-local rides include the Chesapeake Challenge, in Easton, Md., and Bike to the Bay in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Only two rides exist in Pennsylvania:Escape to the Lake in Portersville and Glimcher Keystone Country Ride in State College. Both are headed by Kyle Likens, director of the Bike MS Pittsburgh Chapter.
Likens, who has a degree in recreation and has worked in the nonprofit realm for years, spends much of his time promoting the rides and searching for sponsors, donors and volunteers.
“All of the money raised goes to research,” Likens said. No funds go toward provisions for the rides, travel or other expenses.
Now in its 41st year, Escape to the Lake will be held June 13-14 this year. The average distance is 150 miles, but there are options. If someone’s feeling ambitious, there’s an extra loop they can take, making the total about 180 miles. For beginners, there’s a one-day event, as well as an express route, which is roughly 60 miles.
Riders can only officially represent one ride. However, high donors like Iszauk can be invited to other rides without having to raise additional funds.
Last year, Iszauk rode in Pedal to the Point in Berea, Ohio. His wife, Debbie, volunteered at a rest stop where she cheered on riders and handed out food and water.
“She was a super volunteer,” Iszauk said. “The director asked her to come back this year. Debbie was a huge motivator.”
The Hungarian ExCyclers have one of the highest per capita fundraisers and the 13th highest overall. Since its inception, the team has raised more than $1.2 million for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Likens refers to the Hungarian ExCyclers as “little but mighty” for their ability to raise so much money despite being one of the smaller groups.
Currently, the Hungarian ExCycled Racing Team has 31 riders, but Iszauk has high expectations.
“We are always recruiting,” he said. “I’m quite confident we can get 40 by the ride, but I’m shooting for 50.”
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and often debilitating disease of the central nervous system that impairs communication between the brain and body. Symptoms vary but can include cognitive and mobility changes, fatigue, vision issues and hearing loss.
Anyone can be affected by MS, regardless of age, race, ethnicity or gender. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately 1 million people in the U.S. and 2.9 million worldwide live with the disease.
The good news is research has come a long way. According to Bike MS, the past five years has seen as much progress as the 70 years prior.
It used to take four or five years to be diagnosed with MS, but now many people are being diagnosed within a year. And patients no longer have to travel to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment.
“There’s a lot of new infusion centers like Magee in Pittsburgh and in Erie and Mercer County,” Likens said.
There are new treatment options, Iszauk added. We’ve gone from having no effective treatments to over 25 FDA-approved therapies, he said. Also, researchers now are testing ways to actually repair nerve damage, which once was thought impossible.
“The life expectancy has grown. People are living into their 90s,” Likens said. “The goal is no longer just to live with MS but to find a cure.”
Since retiring, Iszauk bikes more frequently, often taking Debbie along.
“I’m on the roads during low-traffic times. I do all of the trails,” Iszauk said.
He bikes in the Laurel Highlands and on trails near the Butler County Airport, Flight 93 National Memorial, Weirton, W.Va., and Steubenville, Ohio — to name a few.
“For my age, if I don’t train, I couldn’t do this,” said Iszauk, noting he’s 73 now and will turn 74 the week after Escape to the Lake.
“I’m so deeply appreciative of the MS community,” Iszauk said. “I’ve learned so much about MS. They’ve taught me so much about how to live.”
March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Established in 2003, this yearly campaign is held to help promote education of the disease, advocate for those living with MS and raise funds for research.
Bike MS is always looking for volunteers — from bike mechanics to people to pass out drinks and medals at events. For details, email Likens at kyle.likens@nmss.org.
For information about Iszauk and the Hungarian ExCycled Racing Team, visit his website at events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/762566.
Anyone 12 and older can participate in the Bike MS fundraisers, and routes vary in length from 15 to 150 miles. To learn more about Bike MS, visit bikems.org.