John Ascuaga isn’t much for cocktails and frills, but put him in “suits and boots” and ask him to support a good cause and he won’t deny you.

The founding namesake of John Ascuaga’s Nugget is being honored tonight at the third annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Dinner of Champions in the Rose Ballroom of his hotel casino. The dinner’s theme, “Suits and Boots,” is derived from Ascuaga’s personal wardrobe preference.

“I’m certainly very grateful (for the honor),” he said Wednesday. “The cause is so worthwhile.”

The NMSS serves 20 counties with about 5,000 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. About 1,600 in Reno, Sparks, Carson City and Tahoe are registered and served.

Multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system, mostly affects people in the age range of 20 to 50, though children as young as 4 may also be diagnosed, according to Linda Lott, division manager of NMSS.

“The symptoms vary with every person and they come and go,” she said. “Typically a person has what’s called exacerbation from something in their life that changes their life, that flares up. It can be anything.”

Some people wake up with tingling sensations in their limbs or blurred vision and continue that pattern for a few days, Lott said. Over time, those symptoms may reappear, though the person may appear healthy on the outside. The process is called relapse remitting.

The key is treatment, though there is no cure for multiple sclerosis at this time, she said. Several drugs are in the process of development through a national program called Fast Forward, which seeks to expedite approval from the Food and Drug Administration, to slow down progression of symptoms.

In some of its other work, NMSS provides educational programs and financial aid, which has been drastically reduced recently, Lott said.

“It goes without even saying that we’ve been hard hit and not able to give financial aid to people and treatments are so expensive,” she said. “But we do offset some monthly bills and that’s so important to keep treatments going.”

NMSS also provides academic scholarships for students living with multiple sclerosis.

One reason Ascuaga, 84, is being honored tonight is because of his own dedication to assisting students with a scholarship program.

He also feels strongly about helping the community while it grapples for cures to conditions like multiple sclerosis.

“We need more organizations to help overcome these serious diseases that we have,” he said. “Look what they’ve done with autism, just like they’ve done with diabetes. We all have these serious illnesses in society and thank goodness we have these nonprofit organizations that are doing research. I don’t think I’ll ever see it, but you might, I bet they’ll have a vaccine for cancer.”

Lott said NMSS appreciates leaders like Ascuaga.

“He’s doing it because he wants to help,” she said. “The Ascuagas have helped with the MS walks, but the true reason (John) agreed to be the honoree is to help.”

Ascuaga was selected by Lott, Sparks Mayor Geno Martini, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell and Lott’s dinner chair. Both mayors were last year’s honorees.

“John is such an icon in this community and if we’re going to do a fundraising dinner for MS and honor somebody special, it should be John” she said. “He’s very humble. He’s not one to take recognition like this and Mayor Martini went to him and asked him to do this and he said he would.”

The honor is given to a person who exemplifies community leadership, service and a commitment to helping NMSS, Lott said.

Ascuaga’s children, Stephen and Michonne, also have contributed, Lott said.

Many in the business community will attend tonight’s event, including representatives from nearly all the local casino properties, she added.

Shortly after accepting the job with NMSS, Lott learned one of her cousins was diagnosed with the disease and feels her work is not a coincidence.

For the most part, Lott said, most patients won’t experience any major challenges to their daily routines, but if the progression worsens, that’s when they call on the help of NMSS.

“I see that initially it does not (change their lifestyle) if they have relapse remitting,” Lott said. “It’s when they become progressive, it severely changes their lifestyle. I’ve watched people with MS be able to get by to losing their jobs to being bedridden. But some never get to that point ... and they can live pretty long lives.

“It’s just mind-boggling and to me, it’ll be eight years that I’ve been with the society and I have to say I’m truly impressed with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,” she continued. “They do so many good things for people with MS and the cause and research. We all work very, very hard and feel very, very good about it.”

A few spaces are still available for tonight’s dinner, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100. Lott said any community members still interested in attending should call her 827-4257 and make a reservation by 1 p.m. today.