Ray Kershaw was committed to helping
It was with the deepest sadness that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society heard of the passing of Ray Kershaw.

Despite not having a connection to multiple sclerosis, Ray faithfully served our organization for nearly 25 years. During this time he got to know our friends who have MS and he diligently joined the movement to a world free of MS.

Ray had several passions. One was his family and friends. Yearly for 20 years, this group came together to run the Freehold MS Walk site. This past year the site alone grossed closed to $100,000.

Another passion Ray had was for Freehold Township. He always took great pride in talking about the town and how he served on its Township Committee. Here Ray intertwined his love for his town with his passion to aid our friends who have MS.

Six years ago when we talked about the need for a comprehensiveMS care center, Ray brokered a relationship between the chapter and CentraState Medical Center. Today over 700 people who have MS are served by this center.

Four years later when the board saw a need to develop a wellness program designed to keep our friends who have MS active and let them determine the course of their life and not their disease, Ray again said this needed to be in Freehold Township. This, too, is at CentraState.

Most recently while grappling with an issue of so many young people who have MS living in nursing homes or needing independent, living, Ray once again stepped forward to suggest that Freehold Township rally behind a housing complex to serve these individuals.

He thought that this would help those with MS while answering future affordable housing requirements. While still in the planning stages, my hope is that Ray's dream will come to fruition.

During the past two months, Ray would call me weekly. I always told him that he was a "guardian angel" to those who have MS. Ray was a guardian angel to his family, friends, his church, the civic organizations he served and our friends who have MS. He will be missed.
Michael Elkow
President
National Multiple
Sclerosis Society
Oakhurst