From the Stevens Point Journal April 5, 2005:

MS support group reaches out
Volunteers ask Trivia participants to donate

By Jill Steinke
Journal staff

Trivia in Stevens Point is known for its crazy traditions and die-hard attitudes, but amidst the fun and games this year is a chance to do something for others.

For 40 hours, 29-year-old Jason Bilbrey and 29-year-old Ben Scheer joined their interest in Trivia with their passion for the multiple sclerosis support group for area residents. The two members of The Collective camped outside of Trivia headquarters, WWSP-FM, soliciting donations for the support group while they waited to register for the annual contest.

HOW TO HELP For more information about the multiple sclerosis support group or donating money to the group, contact Jason Bilbrey at jason@bilbrey.com.

"Last year, a couple members of the group camped out for 27 hours, just to do it," Bilbrey said. "This year, we said, 'Let's make it even longer. Besides just sitting outside, let's see if we can do something good for the community.'"
From 10 p.m. Saturday until 3 p.m. Monday, when registration began, they camped out with a banner and a bucket, hoping to get collections from passers-by and fellow Trivia teams.
The duo raised $320 for their cause.

All of that money will go to help people like Scheer's mother, who has been struggling with MS for 14 years. Each day is different for his mother - some days needing a walker to get around and other days walking on her own. His fiance's father also suffers from MS.

"It was important for me to do it for that reason," Scheer said.

There are minor cases of MS and then those that worsen with each day, eventually forcing patients into wheelchairs, Scheer said. The disease can be quite expensive because of the cost of treatments which are used to control the condition. There is no cure for MS, he added.

Some MS patients also have to deal with depression. Conditions are ever-changing, said Ami Freimund, Scheer's fiance.

"You never know what's going to happen," she said. "One day you could be able to walk, and the next day you don't want to get out of bed."
The support group helps with some medical expenses and sometimes the purchase of items like a wheelchair or walker. Perhaps the greatest aid is the human support MS patients receive.

When Scheer's mother began losing part of her sight because of optic neuritis, induced by MS, she found comfort talking with others who had gone through the same problem.

"She can talk about treatment with others who had it instead of just the doctor telling her about it," Scheer said. "It gave her peace of mind."
Last year, only one fund-raiser was held for the MS Society, Scheer said, so the team felt another was needed to help with expenses and outreach. What better venue than Trivia to raise money during, Scheer and Bilbrey said, because of the large participation in the event.


Steinke can be reached at 715-345-2248 or at jsteinke@cwnews.net.

PHOTO: DOUG WOJCIK/Stevens Point Journal 
Bernie Pretat, center, along with his daughters, Nicole and Autumn, check out the wrist bracelets they received by donating to the MS fund-raiser set up by Ben Scheer, background right, and Jason Bilbrey, members of The Collective trivia team, as they wait Monday afternoon for registration to begin for this weekends' annual trivia contest Monday afternoon.