Smoothie King Bikes to Combat Multiple Sclerosis

Smoothie King has long positioned itself as a mindful and healthy lifestyle brand. Building on that, Smoothie King team members are practicing what they preach—for the second year in a row, a Smoothie King bike team is helping to fight MS by riding 150 miles through Southern Louisiana’s scenic countryside.

Just over thirty years ago, Will Munger, then-executive director of the Minnesota Multiple Sclerosis(MS) Chapter, and his 10-year-old son decided to ride their bikes home from Will’s father’s home in Duluth, Minnesota to Minneapolis. The two novice riders completed 150 miles in two days, convincing Will that if they could do it, this might be a unique and challenging opportunity for others to raise funds for the National MS Society.

In 1981, other National MS Society chapters throughout the country began holding their own rides. Four years later, the National MS Society adopted the Bike MS ride as an official event to be held in every chapter. To date, Bike MS cyclists, volunteers and donors have raised over $1 billion so people affected by MS can live their best lives—all money raised goes directly to local MS research and services.

Fighting multiple sclerosis

For the Smoothie King team members participating, Bike MS is more than just a ride. When the company’s former chief financial officer disclosed that his wife had been diagnosed with MS, they made the cause their own.

“Bike MS is s uch a worthwhile way to give back to our community. Not only is the cause a personal one, but this ride also perfectly encapsulates Smoothie King’s passion for healthy and active lifestyles,” said Barbara Mayrand, Smoothie King’s team captain.

This October, Mayrand led a team of 11 Smoothie King representatives in the Bike MS Louisiana race. The 2015 event had more than 2,200 riders in total from the Southeastern Louisiana area. Smoothie King’s team raised $7,000 for the cause.

Event participation growth

“I’m so proud of our team this year—this event isn’t easy. You don’t just get on a bike and decide you’re going to ride 150 miles in two days,” Mayrand says. “This event requires a lot of commitment and hard work from each of Smoothie King’s team members, and many of them are out there every day, four months before the event, training for the big day.”

Smoothie King’s impact on race day went beyond their team of 11 cyclists. Anticipating the hot and humid Louisiana weather, the company brought the Smoothie King sampling van to the finish line to serve up refreshing smoothies for the exhausted participants. The drink of choice was the Super Punch Plus—a refreshing choice to replenish the important nutrients like electrolytes lost during the long ride.

Mayrand hopes that Smoothie King’s participation in the event will only continue to grow over the next few years.

“How incredible would it be to have every one of our 100 stores in Louisiana participate in the Bike MS Louisiana event? Imagine the impact we could make in the lives of thousands of people battling MS every single day.”