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Jo and Scott Rampy, along with the runners and walkers who participated in the relay, delivered the donation to the UAMS Department of Neurology.
Image by Evan Lewis
Rampy Foundation Relays $51,313 Donation from Bentonville to UAMS Department of Neurology for MS Research
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine received $51,313 for multiple sclerosis research from the Rampy MS Research Foundation during a ceremony today.
Jo and Scott Rampy, along with other runners and walkers, relayed a check from Bentonville to Little Rock. The Run the Check event was organized as part of the foundation’s Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts. The foundation made an initial pledge of $20,000 to UAMS, with donations made during the run added to the total amount.
“I am very inspired by this tremendous display of dedication and generosity shown by the Rampy MS Research Foundation towards the Department of Neurology’s critical work supporting multiple sclerosis research,” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., UAMS interim chancellor and professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. “I am also thankful for the leadership and bravery of Scott and Jo Rampy — in so many ways you’re shining a great light on the importance of MS research and clinical care.”
The check was presented to Rohit Dhall, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine.
“At UAMS Neurology, we have assembled a team spanning multiple disciplines and departments to meet coordinated clinical, education, support and outreach needs of our MS patients,” said Dhall. “In our mission to deliver high quality care and advance MS research, we have had steadfast support from the Rampys. We are honored that they are a part of our team and are deeply grateful for their years of support.”
It was Jo Rampy’s diagnosis with MS that was the catalyst for the couple’s advocacy for MS research and the creation of the Rampy MS Research Foundation in 2012. The foundation organizes several fundraisers, including its premier event Trifest for MS, an annual triathlon in Bentonville. In addition to UAMS, the foundation has donated to Northwestern University in Chicago and University of California, San Francisco. Since its creation, the foundation has raised over $900,000.
“The purpose of the Run the Check event is to spur continued MS research at UAMS and build a path to clinical solution in Northwest Arkansas,” said Scott Rampy, president and chief advancement officer for the Rampy MS Research Foundation. “Run the Check brings together a committed group of individuals banning together to solve funding needs for research and clinical care in Arkansas. Margaret Mead said it best, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###