About Us
The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of MS. Founded by Nancy Davis in 1993 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, The Nancy Davis Foundation for MS holds an annual Race to Erase MS gala which raises over $2.7 million in a single evening to fund MS research.
Nancy Davis, one of five children, was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. In 1987 she moved to California and now resides in Los Angeles. Nancy is an active individual with an incredible zest for life. She skis, plays tennis, has a black belt in karate, exercises, and travels – living her life to the fullest. She is an extremely dedicated philanthropist, and most importantly, she is a full-time mother who is devoted to her five children. Nancy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the young age of 33. She decided that she was too young and too busy to let the disease slow her down. After being told by doctors that she was “lucky” that she could afford live-in assistance when the disease progressed and she became homebound – she was determined to devote her time, relationships and resources to finding a cure. Nancy’s hope, courage and strength continue to inspire her to maintain a vibrant quality of life despite this chronic disease, but most of all, she remains positive, continues to live her life to the fullest and is tireless in her efforts to finding the cure for MS.
Knowing very little about MS when she was first diagnosed, Nancy immediately prescribed to reading all that she could to educate herself about this mystifying disease. Learning that MS affects close to three million Americans primarily between the ages of 20 and 40, and twice as many women as men, she made it her deep personal commitment to help find the cause and ultimately the cure of this disease. In 1993 she founded The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis – an organization whose primary focus is to raise funds for the most cutting edge, aggressive and promising research in an effort to find a cure for MS.
In 1993, Nancy started the Race to Erase MS with an intimate ski getaway weekend in Aspen, Colorado that raised over $1.3 million for the Foundation. Since its inception, the Race to Erase MS has grown into a spectacular celebrity gala benefit held annually and co-sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger. The Race to Erase MS has raised over $22 million for multiple sclerosis research to date and continues to grow with every year. “While there is no cure for MS yet, we have broken so much new ground is a very short time and we will not stop until we get there," Nancy explains.
In order to continue to fund cutting edge research efforts, the Foundation donates all Race proceeds directly to “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls.” Nancy Davis wanted to build a winning team in the race to erase MS, and the Foundation sought out the best and the brightest throughout the world to bring together different teams of experts to work as a single unit ultimately creating "The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls". The Center is a network of the top six MS institutions that have established leading, innovative research programs. This collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians nationwide continuously develop research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. It is the hope of her Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, that an increased awareness will be created by educating the public about this devastating disease.
Nancy Davis’ determination, her Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, the Center Without Walls and her RACE To Erase MS annual gala events have collectively turned up the speed and funding for research, and created optimum conditions for success in the ultimate race to erase MS forever.
