MEET THE 2012 ADVOCACY HALL OF FAME HONOREES

Each year, the National MS Society honors local volunteers for their outstanding service to the Society and the MS community.  Nomination forms are submitted for each candidate and reviewed by panels from around the country.  These panels face the daunting task of selecting the final honorees from the ever impressive nominees.  The categories for Hall of Fame are Advocacy, Funding the Mission, Health Professionals, Programs and Services and Scientific Researchers.  Click here to see the 2012 Hall of Fame volunteers for each category.

In addition to each category, the Society awards a Volunteer of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards.  The Volunteer of the Year award goes to Dean Munger from Michigan and the Lifetime Achievement Awards—which are reserved for volunteers who have served the Society for 35 or more years—have been handed to Dr. Gary Birnbaum, Dr. John Fleming, and Mary Reed Spencer.  To read more about those recipients, click here.

This year’s Advocacy Hall of Fame honors seven activists who boldly advocate for persons affected by MS at the national, state, and local levels.  The honorees are:

• Patti Barker, South Central Region  
• Yvonne Brown, National Capital Chapter   
• Linda Y. Buchwald, M.D., Greater New England Chapter  
• Robin D’Andrea, Long Island Chapter   
• Michael C. “Mike” Daisley, Greater Carolinas Chapter
• Bonnie Danowski, Arizona Chapter   
• Nan Luke, Pacific South Coast Chapter

The honorees include Chairwomen and members of Government Relations Committees, persons living with MS, a member of the Society’s Medical Advisory Board, a licensed social worker, attorneys and a woman who is the primary caregiver for her husband with MS.  You can read their biographies and learn more about each honoree’s service to the Society here.

This diverse group of individuals has at least one thing in common—their passion and activism is moving us closer to a world free of MS.  Thank you, 2012 Advocacy Hall of Fame honorees, for your years of advocacy leadership on behalf of persons living with MS!