Rain Pryor to host MS benefit at The Hippodrome

The following came from http://www.btimes.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=87162&sID=4

Fighting multiple sclerosis (MS) is not just the cause of the week for actress, comedienne, author and singer Rain Pryor. It has become her passion since the passing of her father, actor and one of the world's funniest comedians Richard Pryor. He battled MS for over two decades. The year her father died, Rain became a national ambassador for the National MS Society.

Rain is currently an educator, and advocate for MS and is committed to finding a cure.

On June 6, 2008, Rain will present her one-woman show, ?Pryor Experience? at the Hippodrome theatre. The jazz cabaret performance will benefit the Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis, a decade-long leader in patient care and innovative research, which is part of the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Having no prior knowledge about MS before her father's diagnosis, Rain is dedicated to helping families learn everything they can about the disease.

?I really did not know what it was, just as my dad did not know what it was. We just knew he had this thing, and what is it? No one was around to explain what it was, because it was still pretty new. The first MS medications did not come out until 1993-my father was diagnosed in 1987. I believe that led to his rapid progression of the disease,? explains Rain.

Rain says watching her dad deteriorate, ?It really impacts your life. And to watch someone slowly deteriorate because of it is harder. There is nothing you can do, you are feeling that powerless feeling,? she says. ?This was the first thing in my life that I could not fix. That is why I got involved in understanding what multiple sclerosis was so I could explain to him what was going on.?

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease that affects 400,000 Americans. It usually strikes young adults. Twice as many women as men have the disease. In MS, the person's own immune cells attack the outer membrane covering, or myelin sheath, of nerves of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. This causes a wide range of symptoms including tingling, numbness, loss of strength, dizziness, fatigue and visual disturbances, such as double vision. The severity of MS varies greatly among individuals. While there is no cure, there are medications that can effectively suppress disease activity and can help patients manage symptoms.

?I literally have so many people in my life that have MS, I had to do something,? says Rain.

As an ambassador, Rain says she educates families and caregivers about what to expect with MS, what to do with your emotions when they come up, and he different treatments that are available for MS.

Rain describes her cabaret show as ?Bette Midler meets herself.? ?I tell jokes, sing beautiful jazz, blues songs. It is just fun entertainment to raise money for MS research. I just want people to come out and have a great time and leave with some valuable information.?

For tickets to Rain Pryor's performance on June 6, 2008, at the Hippodrome, go to www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-551-SEAT.