Press Announcement:
The Bike MS Ride in Washington (Sept. 11 and 12 in Mount Vernon) has always been known for the support it gives its cyclists, but this year, organizers are going above and beyond with the introduction of state-of-the-art technology features designed to make the rider experience even better. Through a partnership with local company Point Inside, Inc., riders will be able to use a free mobile app to get a GPS-activated map of Rider Village on their iPhones, Androids and other smart phones. Not only will they be able to find ride amenities and their team tent in the busy and active Village, but they’ll be able to click on those tents to see team photos, statistics, links to web pages and other information. “As far as we know, our event is the only one with a mobile application of this nature in the Seattle area,” says Rosanna Snyder, communications manager with the National MS Society, Greater Northwest Chapter.
Other technology partnerships will improve rider safety: a mobile texting pilot to distribute safety and emergency information, and invisibleBracelet.org (iB), a web-based emergency health registry that gives authorized EMS providers access to a member’s vital medical information and notifies friends and family in an emergency. (The latter can be especially helpful in an event that includes dozens of riders who are living with multiple sclerosis.) For more information on the Bike MS Ride, presented by Point B, go to www.bikeMSnorthwest.org or call 1-800-344-4867.
