Lawry Circle: Legacy of MS Support

Making a Difference

August 1, 2025

Laura Pemberton

Those Affected by MS

Lawry Circle members generously include the Society in their deferred giving plans.

A family poses together at a wedding. — Lawry Circle Member Margaret Lapp (third from right) and her family.

placed an ad in the New York Times: “Multiple Sclerosis. Will anyone recovered from it, please communicate with patient.”Margaret Lapp has much in common with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society founder. Like Lawry, Lapp is the eldest child, young and has no medical background. But she’s determined to make life better for her brother, who lives with MS.Lapp’s brother Sam, a PhD student in Biological Sciences at Harvard University, was diagnosed with MS in 2021. At the time, Lapp, a marketing professional, didn’t know much about the disease.“I’ve had friends who have talked me through their MS diagnosis but I just kind of nodded and went along, not really fully understanding what that meant,” says Lapp, 35. “[MS is] a buzzword that seems intimidating, but we weren’t fully sure of the details.”The tight-knit family of four, who call themselves “the Gang,” turned to the Society to learn about the disease and find ways to make a difference, fundraising for Walk MS and building a competitive, family team.“[The Society] is an outlet, truly,” Lapp says. “Having those resources to feel like I know a little bit more and having a way to feel like I’m doing something for Sam and having a unified outlet for our collective support for him.”After her husband died unexpectedly, Lapp realized she had to make sure the couple’s daughters, ages 1 and 4, would be taken care of if anything happened to her. Lapp drew up a will that included the Society as a beneficiary, making her a member of the organization’s prestigious Lawry Circle.“Navigating that taught me that there are things you can control and things you can’t. But one of the things you can control is getting ahead of that.”For Illinois board chairman, Kyle Freimuth, who was diagnosed with MS at age 45, joining the Lawry Circle gave him another way to fight back against the disease.“I want my life back. It’s been horrible,” Freimuth says. “[MS] has had a major impact on my life even though compared to others, I don’t have the disability as bad. I can walk and I can work and so people can’t really tell looking at me that I have MS. But I can’t run. I can’t play sports. I can’t do things that I used to really find enjoyable. And I hate it. I hate that I can’t do those things.”
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In 1945, Sylvia Lawry placed an ad in the New York Times: “Multiple Sclerosis. Will anyone recovered from it, please communicate with patient.”Margaret Lapp has much in common with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society founder. Like Lawry, Lapp is the eldest child, young and has no medical background. But she’s determined to make life better for her brother, who lives with MS.Lapp’s brother Sam, a PhD student in Biological Sciences at Harvard University, was diagnosed with MS in 2021. At the time, Lapp, a marketing professional, didn’t know much about the disease.“I’ve had friends who have talked me through their MS diagnosis but I just kind of nodded and went along, not really fully understanding what that meant,” says Lapp, 35. “[MS is] a buzzword that seems intimidating, but we weren’t fully sure of the details.”The tight-knit family of four, who call themselves “the Gang,” turned to the Society to learn about the disease and find ways to make a difference, fundraising for Walk MS and building a competitive, family team.“[The Society] is an outlet, truly,” Lapp says. “Having those resources to feel like I know a little bit more and having a way to feel like I’m doing something for Sam and having a unified outlet for our collective support for him.”After her husband died unexpectedly, Lapp realized she had to make sure the couple’s daughters, ages 1 and 4, would be taken care of if anything happened to her. Lapp drew up a will that included the Society as a beneficiary, making her a member of the organization’s prestigious Lawry Circle.“Navigating that taught me that there are things you can control and things you can’t. But one of the things you can control is getting ahead of that.”For Illinois board chairman, Kyle Freimuth, who was diagnosed with MS at age 45, joining the Lawry Circle gave him another way to fight back against the disease.“I want my life back. It’s been horrible,” Freimuth says. “[MS] has had a major impact on my life even though compared to others, I don’t have the disability as bad. I can walk and I can work and so people can’t really tell looking at me that I have MS. But I can’t run. I can’t play sports. I can’t do things that I used to really find enjoyable. And I hate it. I hate that I can’t do those things.”

How to Join the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Lawry Circle

establishing a planned gift can be easy, fast and inexpensive.“There are different ways to arrange a planned gift. If you have an IRA or other retirement account, stock, a DAF (donor advised fund), life insurance, or even a bank account, you can add the Society as a beneficiary for a specific amount or a percentage remainder. You can do this without an attorney and without changing your will.If you are age 73 or older, you can transfer money from your IRA to create a charitable gift annuity that provides you income for life then leaves a residuum to the Society — with great tax benefits the year of the gift. And, of course you can use the traditional will or trust to arrange a planned gift.When you let us know you have arranged a planned gift, we invite you to become a member of the Lawry Circle.”The Society has partnered with FreeWill, a resource that allows people to create a will and directives.“FreeWill provides a complete estate plan,” Newsome says. “You can create a free will, a power of attorney for your health directives, a power of attorney for your finances and even a funeral plan — and it won’t cost you anything but your time. There’s also a helpful check list to walk you through all the things you should gather before you sit down to make your plan.”Lapp is just one of the Society’s volunteer fundraisers who took advantage of the tool to make a charitable planned gift.“Many other new Lawry Circle members who are volunteer fundraisers and event participants are taking advantage of this free resource,” Newsome says." c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

Lawry Circle members, named in honor of the Society’s founder, demonstrate their commitment to improving the lives of those affected by MS by establishing a deferred gift for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through their will, trust or estate plan. Through their generosity, Lawry Circle members offer a legacy of support to all people affected by MS.Freimuth and his wife created this plan in their wills: “We have two children. We’ve each put into our wills that they each get 45% of whatever the estate has. Then 10% goes to charity, with 5% going to the MS Society and 5% going to Jewish causes,” he says.Kathy Newsome, a planned-giving officer with the Society, says establishing a planned gift can be easy, fast and inexpensive.“There are different ways to arrange a planned gift. If you have an IRA or other retirement account, stock, a DAF (donor advised fund), life insurance, or even a bank account, you can add the Society as a beneficiary for a specific amount or a percentage remainder. You can do this without an attorney and without changing your will.If you are age 73 or older, you can transfer money from your IRA to create a charitable gift annuity that provides you income for life then leaves a residuum to the Society — with great tax benefits the year of the gift. And, of course you can use the traditional will or trust to arrange a planned gift.When you let us know you have arranged a planned gift, we invite you to become a member of the Lawry Circle.”The Society has partnered with FreeWill, a resource that allows people to create a will and directives.“FreeWill provides a complete estate plan,” Newsome says. “You can create a free will, a power of attorney for your health directives, a power of attorney for your finances and even a funeral plan — and it won’t cost you anything but your time. There’s also a helpful check list to walk you through all the things you should gather before you sit down to make your plan.”Lapp is just one of the Society’s volunteer fundraisers who took advantage of the tool to make a charitable planned gift.“Many other new Lawry Circle members who are volunteer fundraisers and event participants are taking advantage of this free resource,” Newsome says.

A family of four poses together. The teenage son wears a graduation cap and gown. — Kyle Freimuth (far right) and his family are supporting the National MS Society through planned giving.

The Benefits of Leaving a Legacy

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Newsome says there is no minimum designation to be included in the Lawry Circle. Any deferred gifts qualify for membership and help advance the Society’s mission.“Every gift adds up and helps,” Newsome says. “Everyone can leave a legacy of support for the Society’s mission and vision. It doesn’t have to be a million-dollar gift to make a difference.” With a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, confidence in the Society’s ability to deliver on its mission of finding a cure while empowering people with MS to live their best lives drives Lawry Circle members.“I appreciate where money is donated,” Lapp says. “I think it’s great knowing where the support ends up and putting a face to it. The MS community is something special.”Freimuth shares Sylvia Lawry’s vision: a world free of MS.“I believe they are going to find a cure, and it would be an incredible honor to be a part of that.”Learn more about how you can make a lasting impact through planned giving.

Laura Pemberton

Laura Pemberton is the Associate Vice President of content for the National MS Society. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

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