Beer on the Bay II, an event hosted by Erie Brewing Company and benefiting The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS), was held on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at the Pepsi Amphitheater in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

I caught wind of the event at the last minute - having a relative with MS and with Bruce Pia from Erie Brewing Company being so kind to give me a couple of Press Passes, I felt the desire to take the couple hour trip up to Lake Erie to investigate the event. 

There were two sessions, 12 – 3 and 5 – 8, with tickets being sold for $25 before the event and $30 at the door.  The weather did not fully cooperate with the event organizers, as showers passed through on and off all day.  Despite the poor weather, there were still plenty of people that decided to attend and show their support for the cause.

Image courtesy of Eugene Ribnicky

For those of you that are not familiar with MS, Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.  MS is thought to be an Autoimmune Disease - The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur. 

People with MS can typically experience one of four disease courses, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe.  Most people with MS learn to cope with the disease and continue to lead satisfying, productive lives, but this should in no way down play the severity of this disease.  Since no two people have exactly the same experience of MS, the disease course may look very different from one person to another. And, it may not always be clear to the physician—at least right away—which course a person is experiencing. 

Thankfully, research in MS is progressing at a remarkable rate, with more potential therapies in the pipeline than at any other time in history. The National MS Society is a driving force of MS research, supporting and stimulating world-class research into ways to prevent, better treat and cure this unpredictable disease of the brain and spinal cord. Learn how far they’ve come, where they’re going and what the Society and others are doing to move toward a world free of MS.



Beer on the Bay II had a nice supporting cast of breweries:



 . . . and from my observations, all attending had a great time!

Image courtesy of Eugene Ribnicky
 
The Pepsi Amphitheater provided a picturesque setting, and the event was well organized and stewarded, with plenty of room to enjoy oneself on the lawn or down by the bay’s edge.

Image courtesy of Eugene Ribnicky

On behalf of the event organizers, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, I would like to extend a big thank you to all who attended this year’s event.  If you live in Western Pennsylvania or Eastern Ohio, please consider donating your time and money for this great cause by attending this event next year.

Image courtesy of Eugene Ribnicky

Your reward is beer and good cheer . . . could be worse.

Image courtesy of Eugene Ribnicky

Cheers!

craftbeerguy

rjohnson@beerconnoisseur.com