Record Participation Expected at 2009 Turkey Trot

RALEIGH, N.C. (October 15, 2009)?Andrew Techet, president of Ridgewood Shopping Center in Raleigh, announces today the annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot (www.ridgewoodturkeytrot.com) will be held Thursday, November 26 at the Ridgewood Shopping Center at Wade Ave. and Ridge Road. Presenting the event are Ridgewood Shopping Center, Fleet Feet Sports of Raleigh and Mizuno Corporation. More than 2,000 participants are expected at the sixth annual event benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Eastern North Carolina.

A Triangle-area Thanksgiving Day tradition, the 2009 event will feature four events: a competitive and noncompetitive 8k race, a one-mile fun run and a kids' dash. The race is sanctioned by U.S.A. Track and Field and is held on a certified course. The fastest male and female runners in each competitive division will receive prizes from Fleet Feet Sports of Raleigh and Mizuno. Every one hundredth competitive race finisher will receive a free pair of Mizuno shoes.

New this year, Precision Race, LLC is providing disposable-chip timing. Runners won’t have to stand in a separate line to pick up their chips or wait to turn them in at the finish line.

“We are thrilled with the growth of the event in recent years and look forward to sustaining this momentum,” says Bruce Bokish, MS Events director and race coordinator. “It’s fun for the whole family and a great way to work up an appetite for Thanksgiving dinner.”

In 2008, more than 1,700 participants help raise $18,500 for charity. Runners and enthusiasts represented 44 North Carolina towns and cities, 33 U.S. States, Canada, France and the Marshall Islands.

Online registration is open at www.active.com. Additional event information is available at www.ridgewoodturkeytrot.com, or by calling 919.349.1719.

About Ridgewood Shopping Center:
Ridgewood Shopping Center has been serving the Raleigh community for more than 40 years. Locally owned and operated since its inception, Ridgewood Shopping Center has made a point of maintaining a high quality mix of local and national merchants. Ridgewood tenants have carefully built their reputation by providing their customers with a higher level of service and merchandise. For more information call 919.787.2599 or visit www.ridgewoodshoppingcenter.com.

About MS Events:
MS Events is a Triangle nonprofit, dedicated to coordinating bike and foot races that raise funds and awareness for local causes. The organization began as a group of volunteers and continues today as such with nonprofit certification. Currently, MS Events raises funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Eastern North Carolina. 2009 events include: St. Patty's Run Green 8K, Cup 'n Cone Tour and the Ridgewood Turkey Trot. For more information, visit www.mseventsnc.org.

About Fleet Feet Sports:
Fleet Feet Sports Raleigh is a locally owned running store featuring a welcoming environment where runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts of all abilities receive unparalleled service and support. The knowledgeable team will take the time to get to know you and your specific needs in order to guide you to the products that are the right FIT for you, whether it is footwear, athletic clothing, sports bras, or fitness accessories. For more information, call 919.832.8275 or visit www.fleetfeetraleigh.com.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society:
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Each year, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devote approximately $125 million to programs and services that enhance more than one million lives to move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2007, the Society invested more than $46 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. If you or someone you know has MS, please contact the National MS Society today at www.nationalmssociety.org or 1-800 FIGHT MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.

About Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to 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 symptoms of MS in any one 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 worldwide.

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