Program FAQs

Q: What is MS Leaders of Hope?
A: MS Leaders of Hope is an MS community program designed to recognize people with MS and caregivers who have responded to the disease in ways that uniquely inspire others.

Q: Who is sponsoring MS Leaders of Hope?
A: MS Leaders of Hope is brought to you by Biogen Idec, the National MS Society, and MS World.

Q: How do I enter my idea?
A: Right here on this website, complete the nomination form by September 15, 2004.

Q: How do I recommend a friend to participate in MS Leaders of Hope?
A: To refer the program to a friend, click here.

Q: How do I vote for the finalists?
A: To vote for a finalist, return to this website from October 4-26.

Q: Do I need to have an extraordinary idea in order to nominate myself?
A: MS Leaders of Hope is designed to recognize creative ideas and the people who developed them. We believe there are many ideas out there that have brought great value to the lives of people with MS that might be relatively simple yet highly impactful. If your idea has been important to you and others and may be helpful to the MS community – enter it!

Q: How do I know what is going on with MS Leaders of Hope?
A: The MS Leaders of Hope program will start on July 19, 2004. See the program timeline for further program details and key events.

Q: What if I haven’t yet been able to inspire others with my idea?
A: While inspiring others is a key criterion for winning an MS Leaders of Hope award, we still encourage you to enter a nomination if you think your idea fits the descriptions found on the awards page.

Q: What if I have an idea but I haven’t yet been able to put it into action?
A: MS Leaders of Hope will judge all nominations according to answers to the three questions found on the nomination form. However, we also recognize that some ideas are emerging and have not yet been put into action. Feel free to enter your idea or you may want to wait until next year if you plan to put your idea to work between now and the Spring of 2005.

Q: How do I nominate someone other than myself?
A: While you can’t officially nominate someone else, we strongly encourage you to refer as many friends as you can to this program. You can do that by using the "Tell a Friend" link on this page and completing the online form. The system will automatically email a note to your friend with all the instructions they will need to nominate themselves. MS Leaders of Hope provides this tool in order to ensure patient privacy.

Q: What do I do if I need additional assistance with the program?
A: All of the information you need to nominate, vote and participate in MS Leaders of Hope is on this website. If you have additional questions please call 1-800-456-2255.

Q: How old do I have to be in order to participate?
A: You must be 18 years or older as of the date that you submit your nomination in order to qualify to enter MS Leaders of Hope.

Q: If I enter an idea, will MS Leaders of Hope keep my information private?
A: Yes. MS Leaders of Hope will keep all patient information secure according to our patient privacy policy. To read the policy, click here.

Q: Who will be judging the winners?
A: The Academy of Judges for MS Leaders of Hope is comprised of a dedicated team of professionals — educators, health care professionals, and communications experts —who will evaluate each entry and determine the semi-finalists for this competition. Confirmed semi-finalists' entries will be reviewed by a second round of specialized judges including people with MS and representatives from the National MS Society and MS World.

Q: Do I have to go to Denver if I win?
A: MS Leaders of Hope plans to present each winner with his or her award at the National MS Society National Conference in Denver on November 10, 2004. We believe it is important for all winners to be there to receive their award and celebrate their idea. However, MS Leaders of Hope will work with the winner should extenuating circumstances that prevent travel arise.

Q: Who will make the travel arrangements?
A: MS Leaders of Hope will make all of your travel arrangements and will work with you to ensure all arrangements are agreeable.

Q: Is there any restriction on who I can bring?
A: While there is no restriction on who you bring, MS Leaders of Hope strongly encourages you to bring someone who has been instrumental in assisting you to implement your idea or inspiring others to put your idea into action.

Q: Will anyone call me at home?
A: If you are selected as a semi-finalist, finalist or winner, MS Leaders of Hope may contact you at the telephone number you provide.

Q: How will I be contacted? How will I know if I won?
A: Semi-finalists will be notified via a special mailing sent to their stated address. Each semi-finalist candidate will be required to read and sign the documents provided and return them in the envelope provided within the timeframe stated to continue on in the competition. Finalists will be notified and will be entered into the final round of judging. Winners will be determined by online voting open to anyone wishing to participate. Winners will be notified by November 1, 2004. Winners will be announced on the MS Leaders of Hope website on November 8, 2004.