Alot is riding on the RideAcross Minnesota. WhenTRAM comes through

Austin July 26 and 27, native KirstinCzarnota will be on the mind of atleast two Austin residents — herparents.Czarnota has multiple sclerosis,

and she hopes the ride can bring itcloser to the public’s conscious.“That’s why the walks and the

TRAM rides are so important,”said Czarnota. “It’s out there, anda lot of people don’t know muchabout it. I didn’t. I didn’t have aclue.”Czarnota’s parents, Tom and

Mary Graff, have been supportersof TRAM coming to Austin.Czarnota, 37, was diagnosed

with MS when she was 25, newsthat changed her life.“It was frightening at first, find-

ing out and learning that I have adisease that I’ll have for a lifetimeand the disabilities it can cause,”she said.At first, Czarnota thought she

was going to be in a wheel chair.“It’s not like that. It doesn’t

have to be, but it can be,” she said.Despite living with a disease

that can be detrimental, she feelsfortunate.“After the initial shock, it’s been

great, because I’ve been verylucky,” she said.Czarnota learned she had MS

after she went numb on the leftside of her body.“I couldn’t hold things, basi-

cally almost paralyzed on my leftside,” she said describing the or-deal.

Pedaling toward a cure

Austin native Kirstin Czarnota was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 25. Now 37, Kirstinis trying to stay ahead of a disease that can cause debilitating side effects.> KIRSTIN continues on 6

Story by Jason Schoonover • Photo by Eric Johnson

Austin native aims to stay one step ahead of MS

““IItt wwaassffrriigghhtteenniinngg aatt

ffiirrsstt ffiinnddiinnggoouutt aanndd

lleeaarrnniinngg tthhaatt II

hhaavvee aaddiisseeaassee tthhaatt II’’llll

hhaavvee ffoorr aalliiffeettiimmee aanndd

tthhee ddiissaabbiilliittiieess

iitt ccaann ccaauussee..”

-KirstinCzarnota

Austin welcomes you to Spam Town,USA. We’re so happy to have you here.Our community is very excited about

the opportunity to be one of your HostCities on the 22nd Annual The RideAcross Minnesota. Austin is a beautifulcity with 29 parks, fantastic pedestrianand bike paths, athletic facilities, greatarts offerings, seven lodging options, lotsof shopping, fine businesses, and dozensof excellent dining locations. As the Mower County seat, Austin was

founded in 1856, and now has a populationof about 24,000. Austin is best-known asthe home of the Hormel Foods Corp. —the only Fortune 500 company in Min-nesota located outside of the Twin Cities.Austin is a wonderful place to live,

work and visit. It’s the perfect destinationfor family fun. Hop on one of our shuttlebuses and see all we have to offer. From adip in the downtown Municipal Pool, tothe cool air-conditioned Austin Public Li-brary, where you can check your e-mails,to the world-famous Spam Museum, youwill enjoy your stay here.

The Spam Museum is our newest at-traction, and every year it welcomes thou-sands of visitors from all over the world.This beautiful museum was developedand built by Hormel Foods as a 16,500-square-foot tribute to Spam — Austin’smost famous product. Spam is nearing its75th birthday. It’s a treat for guests of anyage. The guides there are “Spam-bas-sadors” and when they serve Spam, sam-ples, we call them Spamples. You embracewhat you have in your community — andwe have Spam. The Paramount Theatre isoffering a performance with Tonic Solfathat evening. Grab a burger and a cold root beer at

our classic A&W. Walmart and Kwik Triphave the last-minute things you may need

for the rest of your ride. The Rydjor BikeShop on Main Street has a museum wallinside showing the history and styles ofbikes over the years. One shuttle bus willcircle back and forth between Todd Parkand the hotels starting at noon, while an-other will do continuous loops from thepark to local attractions, shopping, andrestaurants, from approximately 11 a.m.to 11 p.m. As you’ll notice with our longlist of sponsors, our local merchants werevery glad to help us to prepare for your ar-rival and very generous in their dona-tions. There are still vacancies at ourgreat hotels, should you decide to stay atone.We are very proud to have you stay in

Austin. If you have any questions about

our city or things you may need duringyour stay here, please stop by our infor-mation booth (at the south end of ToddPark, near where you enter on Tuesday).Our staff and excellent volunteers will beglad to assist you. The Welcoming Com-mittee will be in place as you cross the fin-ish line into Todd Park in awesomeAustin. Make sure to pick up your owncopy of our 2011 official Austin VisitorsGuide as well as all other information atthe Info Booth. Waiting for you as you ar-rive in the park will be complimentarycold bottled water and fresh fruit, freebike towels, and home-made bananabread. Austin will treat you right. Have aSpam-tastic time.

2 FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM

$599THE BIG TRAM BREAKFAST3 Large Pancakes, 2 SausagePatties

EXPIRES 9/30/2011

HAM & CHEESE OMELETTE3 Eggs, Ham & American Cheese with sideof Hashbrownsand choice of

toast or pancakes.$699EXPIRES 9/30/2011

Welcome to Austin, TRAMCChheerryyll CCoorreeyy

Austin Convention and Visi-tors Bureau

The Ride Across Minnesota: The 22nd annual Multi-ple Sclerosis-The Ride Across Minnesota (MS TRAM) bicycle ride is afundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of America. Along with provid-ing bicyclists paths to ride with friends, the ride will also bring awarenessand raise money for the more than 10,000 Minnesotans currently diagnosedwith the disease.

TRAM entertainmentline-up, July 26

••33 pp..mm.. — Welcome to TRAM-MERS, Chamber Ribbon Cutting, fol-lowed by Nate T., a Christian rapper••33::3300 pp..mm.. — Dylan Kaercher••44 pp..mm.. — Dylan Kaercher’s 5-piece acapella group••44::3300 pp..mm.. — Conway and Company••55::3300 pp..mm.. — Amanda Corey andMatthew Deters••66::3300 pp..mm.. — Second Edition••77 pp..mm.. — Multiple Sclerosis takesstage, awards/announcements••77::3300 pp..mm.. — Six Mile Grove••88::3300 pp..mm.. — James Bracken/Heartof Gold ••99::3300 pp..mm.. — Entertainment stagecloses for the night

The public is invited to Todd Park and all entertainment.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 3

Live atTRAM

Local band Six Mile Grove will be one of theheadlining acts at TRAM. — Photo provided

Win great prizesThe Austin Convention andVisitors Bureau will be givingaway great door prizes duringthe evening entertainmentportion. The grand prize is afantastic, colorful and valu-able Spam jersey donated byMark Coffey of Hormel Foods.The winner must be present toreceive prizes — no excep-tions.

Additional entertainment:

Tonic Sol-Fa — 7 p.m. at TheHistoric Paramount Theatre. This quartet has been awardednumerous original song andalbum awards in pop, gospel,and holiday genres, and hasbeen named one of the top five“must see” groups in America.

Upcoming Austin Events:• 127th Annual Mower County Fair: August 9-14• 65th Annual National Barrow Show: September 11-14• Fall Harvest Celebration at the Mower County Historical Society. 11am-3pm, September 24• Christmas in the City official kickoff in downtown Austin: November 25• Austin's 2nd Annual Merry TubaChristmas! This free community Christmas concert will be held at the Oak Park Mall at 1 pm in Center Court. Players of the tuba, sousa-phone, baritone and euphonium are encouraged to join the fun! TubaChristmas, held around the world for 37 years, was founded by the Harvey G. Phillips Foundation.

Alternate HousingInformation can be found at theinformation booth, and at lostand found.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM4 FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011

Municipal Pool600 North Main St.Open from 1-5:30 p.m.

Y.M.C.A.704 First Drive NWOpen 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Austin Public Library323 Fourth Ave. NEOpen 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Austin US Post Office200 First Ave. SE507-434-4748

Maytag Megaload Coin Laundry1309 18th Ave. NW507-434-7660

Wells Fargo Bank501 North Main St.507-433-1891

US Bank301 North Main St.507-433-0203

Pay Phone101 Fourth St. NW

Severe Weather Shelters:Riverside Arena – 501 Second Ave. NEPacker Arena – 121 Fourth Ave. NE

Medical ServicesFirst aid, massages, and more Near the information booth

Mayo Clinic Health System1000 First Drive NW507-433-7351

Emergency Phone Numbers911Austin Fire Dept. – 507-433-3405Austin Police Dept. – 507-437-9405

Additional entertainment Tonic Sol-Fa – 7 p.m. at the historicParamount Theatre, 125 Fourth Ave.NE. This quartet has been awarded nu-merous original song and albumawards in pop, gospel, and holiday,and has been named one of the topfive “must see” groups in America.

N

ENTRANCE

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M R

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FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 5AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM

RV PARKING

RV PARKINGRV ENTRANCE

RESTROOM RV PARKING

RESTROOM

BIKE LOCKUP

LUGGAGE LOT

RESTROOM

IZAAK WALTON CABIN(MASSAGE CENTER)

REGISTRATION / CHECK INMAYO FIRST AID

SHOWER TRUCK

STAGE &FOOD VENDORS

She was also having dizziness, andher father remembers being at her ini-tial doctor’s appointments and seeingthe concern in a technician’s face dur-ing a test.“It was a shock, and she’s been deal-

ing with it very well — better than weare,” he said. “We feel very lucky sofar.”Through steroids and medication,

her feeling was restored. In a secondattack, Czarnota went blind in herright eye.In more extreme cases, MS can para-

lyze and cause blindness. Czarnota hasbeen fortunate. She lives mostly free ofextreme side effects from MS with herhusband, Brian, and three children,Logan, Jacob and Olivia 2, in CottageGrove.MS is not believed to be genetic.Czarnota’s parents are volunteering

at TRAM to help prepare the campingarea and transport the riders’ supplies.Tom Graff said he’s thrilled to see

the riders giving back, and his contri-bution pales in comparison.“It’s very little for us to go out there

and help out,” he said. “They’re givinga sacrifice, and our’s is pretty minute.”Czarnota has not had any attacks

commonly associated with MS, thoughshe has less extreme side-effects, likegetting tired easily.“I’m very lucky,” she said.Recently, she has shifted treatment

methods. Her old doctor, who chosenot to treat her MS if she’s not havingthe symptoms, moved away. The newdoctor decided to implement preven-tative treatments. She receives injec-tions three times a week.While she said she prefers to not be

on medications, she does like the ideaof preventing further illness.The medications do have side ef-

fects, but Czarnota hasn’t had any ad-verse reactions since she startedtaking them. She has heard of moreextreme cases where people struggledwith symptoms for decades.But, the road has been far from easy.

In 2005, Czarnota was diagnosed withbreast cancer. Doctors decided to stop

the MS treatments and focus on thecancer. “It’s uncommon to have someone

so young go through two life-threat-ening diseases like this,” her husbandsaid.According to him, there’s a small

sample size of people facing bothbreast cancer and MS, but his wife’scancer is now in remission.Despite the health concerns, the

couple has lived a normal live. That’snot to say Czarnota has been un-ef-fected by MS. She now has to live withlimitations. In the past, she and herhusband have participated in War-rior Dash, a fitness contest. ButCzarnota has to limit herself becauseher balance has been affected by MS.But when it comes to extracurricu-

lars, fitness takes a back seat to thecouple’s children.“Our kids are our hobbies,” the

husband said.The couple is raising three chil-

dren, but MS is said to not be genetic.

On a typical weekend, Brian andKirstin are commonly found at homewith their kids, possibly with anotherfamily over at the house.“Thankfully the MS hasn’t im-

pacted anything to date,” BrianCzarnota said.Along with her parents’ involve-

ment in TRAM, Kirstin and Brian’sextended family has participated inthe MS work in the Twin Cities.They’ve raised about a thousand

dollars per year.“There’s people not as lucky as me,

and maybe we can find a cure,” shesaid of why it’s important to be in-volved.Still, there is always the fear symp-

toms could worsen, which is why acure would be so important for all liv-ing with MS.“We always try to keep those possi-

bilities out of our mind and hope forthe best and just live our lives,” BrianCzarnota said.Kirstin Czarnota isn’t the only rea-

son her parents are involved in TRAM.Tom, who works as a park supervisorfor Austin Parks, Recreation andForestry, was inspired to help partiallyby the involvement of his co-worker,Valerie Pitzen, the recreation director.“She works really hard at this,”

Graff said. “She’s one of the reasonswe’re doing this.”

6 FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM

From Page 1

KIRSTIN AND BRIANCZARNOTAJob: KIRSTIN works in daycare; Brian is anoperations manager for Target.Home: Cottage GroveChildren: Logan, 12; Jacob 4; and Olivia, 2

Kirstin: ‘There’s people not as lucky as I am’TRAM Foodvendors

HHyy--VVeeee-All Meat Kabobs-Spam Burgers-Hamburgers

-1/2 pound foot long hotdogs-Turkey Legs

-Corn on the Cob

HHyy--VVeeee BBrreeaakkffaasstt-Yogurt-Fruit

-Caribou Coffee-Jumbo Muffins-Cinnamon Rolls

-Donuts-Hot Breakfast Sandwiches

PPaappaa MMuurrpphhyy''ss-Pizza

-Cookies-Pop

PPiiggggyy BBlluueess BBBBQQ-BBQ Stuffed Baked Potato-Shredded Pork Sandwich w/

Kettle Chips-Piggy Nachos

HHoogg WWiilldd WWiinnggss-Buffalo/Boneless Wings-Popcorn Chicken,

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich,Chicken Wrap

-Deep Fried Pickles, SpicyShrimp, Idaho Nachos

TThhee BBiissttrroo CCaatteerriinngg//TToorrggee''ss-Walking Tacos-Turkey Burger-Philly Wrap-Sweet Corn

-Pickle on a Stick-Starbucks Coffee

TThhee BBiissttrroo CCaatteerriinngg//TToorrggee''ss--Breakfast

-Breakfast Burritos-Scones

“It’s very little for us to go out there and helpout. They’re giving a sacrifice, and our’s ispretty minute.” — Tom Graff

• Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable,often disabling disease of the centralnervous system. It interrupts the flowof information within the brain and be-tween the brain and the rest of the body.Every hour in the United States, some-one is newly diagnosed with MS. Symp-toms range from reduced or lostmobility to numbness and tingling toblindness and paralysis. • The progress, severity and specificsymptoms of MS in any one person can-not yet be predicted, but advances in re-search and treatment are moving uscloser to a world free of MS. Most peo-ple with MS are diagnosed between theages of 20 and 50, with at least two tothree times more women than menbeing diagnosed with the disease. MSaffects more than 400,000 people in theU.S., and 2.1 million worldwide. • MS stops people from moving. The Na-tional MS Society exists to make sure itdoesn’t. We help each person addressthe challenges of living with MS. In2010 alone, through our national office

and 50 state network of chapters, we de-voted $159 million to programs andservices that assisted more than a mil-lion people. To move us closer to aworld free of MS, the Society also in-vested $37 million to support 325 re-search projects around the world. • The Society partners with the health-care community to promote qualityhealthcare. Information on MS and theSociety’s services are available 24-hours a day by calling (800) 344-4867. Weare people who want to do somethingabout MS now. You can join the move-ment at www.nationalMSsociety. org • There are approximately 1,200 posi-tions filled by professional staff mem-bers and over 500,000 positions filled byvolunteers. Together they carry out theSociety’s daily operations. The Societyhas some 750,000 general members, in-cluding over 370,000 individuals whohave MS. • Nationwide income in 2010 was $217million. The majority of Society in-come comes from private contribu-

tions, 66 percent of which is gener-ated through special events. Ap-proximately 7 percent is receivedfrom corporate support, includingpharmaceutical companies and gov-ernment grants. • Approximately 73 percent of Soci-ety income is devoted to researchand service programs while the re-mainder is invested in support serv-ices such as fund raising and Societymanagement. It costs the Societyabout 15 cents to raise a dollar. • Since its founding by Sylvia Lawryin March 1946, the Society has ex-pended over $721 million to advanceMS research. • During the last 65 years, the Soci-ety has been at the core of virtuallyevery major breakthrough in treat-ing and understanding the disease. • The U.S. Society is one of 43 sisterSocieties forming the Multiple Scle-rosis International Federation alsofounded by Sylvia Lawry, who diedat age 86 in 2001.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • MS TRAM FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 7

MS and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

BY MATT PETERSONmatt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

The Ride Across Minnesota bike ride to fight Mul-tiple Sclerosis is here, and Austin’s biggest represen-tative is warming up her bike tires.It has been nine years since TRAM passed through

Austin, which is why Austin native Mary Nelson is soexcited. She has ridden in TRAM every year since1990, making 2011 her 22nd consecutive time. She’sbeen using the same Cannondale bike she boughtfrom Rydjor Bike Shop of Austin for 20 years.The goal: to raise money and awareness for Multi-

ple Sclerosis, a debilitating disease that affects nearly400,000 people in the U.S., according to the NationalMultiple Sclerosis Society.Nelson used to ride in the MS 150 from Duluth to

the Twin Cities. When she heard about TRAM from acoworker, she became curious. But she wasn’t sure ifshe could complete such a long trek.Inspiration led Nelson to give it a shot because that

former coworker had a relative struggling with MS.Furthermore, Nelson knew people with MS and hadseen its effects. Now, Nelson represents Hormel in theride and calls herself the Spam TRAMmer. She rides

with a fake pig on her bike and banners letting every-one know who she is. Nelson said she is very gratefulfor her job because it has allowed her to donate morethan $500 to the cause every year. This year, she hopesto donate more than $1,000.Many aspects of the event draw Nelson back each

year.“They take excellent care of you,” she said.Nelson referred to the efforts of the MS Society for

organizing the event. When the riders reach each city,trucks wait for them with all of their food, tents, lug-gage and anything else they need.Hundreds of volunteers sign up every year as well.

They include truck drivers, ride marshals, routemarkers, radio operators, escorts and many others.Anna Kucera, senior marketing manager with the

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota chap-ter, hopes each year keeps getting bigger. Last year’sevent drew about 850 riders and 650 volunteers.If riders want, they can also stay in any of the des-

ignated hotels along the way.Nelson said the event is a good way to meet some

compassionate people and an opportunity to showothers the hospitality of Austin.

Photo providedMary Nelson has participated in The Ride Across Americafor all 21 years.

Riding across Minnesota for 20 years

A departing, interdenomina-tional prayer is scheduled for 6a.m. near the information bootharea. This 10 minute prayer bless-

ing will be a good time to send

TRAM riders off with a good word tostart their ride, asking for safetyand wellbeing on the day's journey. Plan to join them for this spe-cial few moments together be-

fore departure.

A parting prayer

• Six Mile Grove• Nate.T Christian rapper (Nathaniel Tusen)• Dylan Kaercher and Friends• Conway and Company• Second Edition• James Bracken and Heart of Gold Band• Amanda Corey & Matthew Deters• Pete Jacobson• Miner’s Outdoor and Recreation• Holiday Inn/Days Inn/Torge’s• AmericInn• Rodeway Inn• Hy-Vee• Piggy Blues• Hog Wild Wings• Papa Murphy’s Pizza• A&W• Austin Jaycees• Walmart• Austin Park & Recreation Department• Austin Daily Herald• Carol and Harry Hansen• Mary Nelson• Mary Goetz & Girl Scouts of Minnesotaand Wisconsin River Valley• Robin Krueger & Cub Scouts Pack 113and Boy Scouts Troop 113• Mark Coffey and Hormel Foods Corp.• Austin Zonta Club members• Tom Ashbaugh and family

• Artesian Fresh Water• Kwik Trip 4th St. store• Austin Police Department• Austin Fire Department• Mower County Senior Center• Diamond Ridge Printing• Austin Daily Herald• Austin Convention and Visitors Bureaustaff and volunteers• Dustin Heckman and Mower CountyHistorical Society• Scott Marsh, Carla Karuso and MayoHealth Care Systems staff• Kathy Stutzman• Kiersten Hall• Cedar Valley Services• Palmer Bus Company• Albert Lea Bus Company• Alternative Housing host homes• Mower County Recycling• Pizza Ranch• KAUS Radio and John Wright• DeeDee Marx, Barry Brobeck and AHSsports team student volunteers• Austin Rotaractors club members• Denny Charnecki and DC Music

—And all of the great volunteers and hosthome families that helped make this eventhappen.

Saturday, September 10, 2011Riverland Community College

Austin, Minnesota

RE•fest is a fun-filled and inspirational day where you’ll learn new ways to conserve Earth’s limitedresources and make positive changes in your homeand community.

RE•fest offers your family a chance to experienceexhibits, workshops, solar stage performances, agreen-living book store, a movie room, local food, artisans, and children’s activities.

RE•fest will have something for everyone, so savethe date and plan on joining this Celebration ofGreen Living & Clean Energy!

www.re-fest.orgRE•fest is a collaborative project of:

• Austin Utilities •• Friends of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center (Austin Parks & Recreation) •

• Owatonna Public Utilities •• Riverland Community College •

TRAM Sponsors

TRAM Shuttle Bus RoutesPick up a bus route schedule at the information booth at Todd Parkupon arrival on Tuesday, July 26. • Three buseswill be available for TRAM:— One shuttle bus will circle back and forth between ToddPark and the hotels, starting at noon.— The others will do continuous loops from the park to localattractions, shopping, and restaurants, from approximately 11a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Cost: $2 per rider. Purchase shuttle bus tickets at the informa-tion booth.

Stamp your ticket to see Austin