MARIE PERNA DARES TO DREAM.

When Long Island resident Marie Perna, 58, was diagnosed with MS 2 years ago, her initial response was to learn as much as she could about the disease. Her very next thought was to raise awareness about MS among her family and friends. Then came several innovative schemes for raising money to help find a cure. While fundraising might not be a logical next step for most of us, it was for Marie and her childhood sweetheart Don, who has been her husband for the past 35 years.

A former physical education teacher, semi-pro softball player, and golf lover, Marie says that her tennis game has suffered lately, but she still swims, lifts weights, and remains an avid golfer. Once, her life's ambition had been to win the Babe Zaharias Open Golf Tournament, so naturally she thought of sponsoring a golf tournament to raise funds for MS. She and Don did it last year, and brought in $50,000.

Okay--been there, done that! She wanted a new challenge for 2000. Impressed with the talent of the artists with MS who are featured in The Creative Will, a book published by the Society, she came up with the idea of an art auction/dinner dance. Marie was not daunted by her lack of experience in either art or auctions.

"Organizing it was my therapy," she said. "I was up at 5:00 in the morning, typing, making lists, making phone calls, constantly talking, thinking, writing, following up on things, playing with percentages."

She contacted all of the artists featured in the book, and collected 24 pieces from 12 of them. She located a professional art auctioneer, Elinore MacMillan; found an emcee for the evening, radio personality Rick Sommers (who also has MS); and sweet-talked a band, Creations, into playing. She'd had previous fundraising experience with the Girl Scouts, the Special Olympics, and The Ronald McDonald House, all in Rhode Island where she and Don had raised their 3 daughters.

Don is on the fundraising committee of the Long Island Chapter's Board of Trustees. He has lots of business savvy, and knew just which businesses to tap as local sponsors: Continental Teves, Inc. underwrote the dinner; Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Tzell Travel arranged to get the 12 participating artists to Long Island from all 4 corners of the US; and Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. provided favors.

Despite their many other responsibilities--Marie is also the coordinator of an MS support group and Don runs his own business--the Purnas devoted nearly a year of almost full-time volunteer work to organize the Dare to Dream Again benefit. The event took place on October 27, 2000, and raised over $50,000. Marie Perna is now an activist for people with disabilities. It is certainly not a title she ever imagined for herself: "All I wanted to do was raise money," she said.

The 12 artists whose works were donated for sale at the auction:

Monica Baez, Nanuet, NY -- painter and graphic artist.

Mike Boggeri, Hughson, CA -- photocollagist.

Karen G. Stone, Albuquerque, NM -- photojournalist.

Surel Mitchel, Boise, ID -- painter.

James Iatridis, Fort Lee, NJ -- painter.

Ruby M. Grady, Fort Washington, MD -- painter and sculptor.

Karen L. DeWitt, Park Forest, IL -- painter.

David Godlis, New York, NY -- commercial photographer.

Jeffrey Hopkins Finkle, Huntington, NY -- sculptor.

Marry Manning, Phoenix, AZ -- watercolorist.

MaryBeth Tartaglione, Centerport, NY -- painter.

Gina Minielli Gunkel, Bayside, NY -- photographer.

Tamar Asedo Sherman is a journalist who has been living with MS for 23 years.