More than 360 guests gathered in The Drake Hotel’s Gold Coast room (140 E. Walton) May 24 to support the fight against MS. Hosted by ABC 7’s Kathy Brock, the ninth annual luncheon honored Equinox trainer and motivational speaker Carrie Paulsen, and celebrated Cook County Court Appointed Special Advocate for children Teri Andresen as the honorary chair. As women living with MS, both were recognized for their strength and dedication in bringing about awareness of the disease. It was a record-breaking event, raising more than $182,000 to support nationwide research.

Get this: Thanks to fundraising events like the luncheon, the National MS Society has contributed to breakthroughs including 15 disease-modifying therapies since 1993. To find out how you can help, visit Nationalmssociety.org/get-involved.

Photos by John Reilly Photography