Rural Virginia MS Conference – featuring Games, children and adult Activities, MS learning and a just a Good, Fun weekend for all —

Cinderella’s Closet is the creation of Suzanne
O’Connell.  She works tirelessly, while
living with MS herself, to provide the opportunity for people to feel like
Cinderella and Prince Charming – if only for one night.  Living with MS (the wicked stepsister) can
take away many things in life, but for that night participants can put all of
that aside and feel like a Prince or Princess. 
Participants can select a flowing gown or handsome suit, a new hairdo
and makeup, shoes with bling, and sparkling jewelry.  “Fairy Godmothers” help each person
select, try on, and accessorize a beautiful gown or suit.

Our little ‘mice’ make sure that each outfit is a perfect
fit, hemmed, pressed, and ready for the ball. 
Hair stylists and makeup professionals are onsite so that each
participant can be treated to a personal pampering session with a hair stylist
for a new hair cut or ‘do’ and a special makeup professional to help them look
their very best for the evening.  Everyone
is invited to the ball for the fashion parade, presentation of makeovers,
socializing, and dancing.  In Roanoke, we
will “live like there is NO midnight!”

In preparation for this event, we are asking for donations
of formal and semi-formal wear for men, women and children, shoes, bags, costume
jewelry, scarves, wraps, men’s shirts and ties, and any other items that might
make a person feel beautiful or handsome!

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of
the central nervous system.  Symptoms may
be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or as severe as paralysis and loss of
vision.  Our participants living with MS
sometimes must put all their energy into making it through each day.  Whether for financial reasons, or because of
accessibility issues, this type of pampering is just not feasible to many
people and feeling beautiful and pampered is not a priority.

This year Cinderella’s Closet brings its glamour to the
August MS Conference & Retreat hosted by the MS Alliance of Virginia, which
was designed to give MS patients and their caregivers a chance to relax and take
a break from the stresses of the everyday life of living with MS.

Our participants can rest easy knowing that
they will enjoy the hot summer days in an air-conditioned environment while
they enjoy a weekend of educational programs as well as fun-filled activities
and relaxation.