Holley woman to receive National MS Society award

Posted 24 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Elissa Rowley

Press release, National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter

HOLLEY – The National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter has named Elissa Rowley of Holley this year’s recipient of the “Young Person On the Move” award.

In 2012, Rowley interned for four months with the National MS Society. As an intern, she was able form a support group in Canandaigua for people living with MS and their caregivers. She sought to learn more about multiple sclerosis while also making a difference in the community.

“When I was offered the internship position, I felt like it happened for a reason,” explains Rowley. “My father-in-law, John, lived with Primary Progressive MS for more than six years, but this disease was still a mystery to me, and the internship provided me the opportunity to learn about the disease while impacting the lives of people affected by MS.”

Today, Rowley continues to play an active role as an advocate for MS Awareness. She has led an MS Service Day team for the past two years, and she plans to continue volunteering with the Upstate New York Chapter.

Rowley will be honored at the chapter’s fourth annual On the Move Luncheon at noon on March 7 at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford. The networking luncheon, held during MS Awareness Week, shines a spotlight on some of the area’s MS movement luminaries – people who are on the move to create a world free of multiple sclerosis, a disabling disease of the central nervous system that affects more than 2,800 people in the Greater Rochester area and more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

Rowley is one of eleven award recipients to be honored in six categories. For more information on National MS Society Upstate New York Chapter, click here.