MULTIPLE Sclerosis never sleeps and its victims never get a break, even in times of natural disaster.

That is why Gympie furniture retailers Ross and Daphne Davies are pressing ahead with their MS research fundraiser, the Black and White Dinner, at Gympie Civic Centre a fortnight from tonight.

Mr Davies asked Gympie people to get behind the big fundraising event, which promotes and helps fund MS research in Australia.

The Davies family's fundraising efforts have put Gympie in a leading position in organising and inspiring research into the causes and a possible cure for the disease, which afflicts 23,000 Australians. It is a figure which is going up by 7% a year.

That effort comes on top of running the family's well-known business, Davies Furniture Court, in Horseshoe Bend.

Their extraordinary contribution is why MS Australia executives Colleen de Keratry and Dan Sweetman paid Ross and Daphne Davies a visit this week.

Mrs Davies said promising research now seemed to strongly indicate a link between MS and low levels of Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin" which is made by the human body in response to sunlight.

That research has come about partly because of the Davies' enormous contribution to the funding that helps bring researchers together to make progress.

The research has shown much higher rates in Tasmania than in northern Australia - an effect which has also been noted in Britain and northern Europe.

"They don't get much sun and they have higher rates of MS," said Ms de Keratry.

"The money Gympie has raised has brought researchers together and helped them co-ordinate their work.

"Now we have people saying there may be a cure available within seven years.

"It's very exciting when you hear things like that," she said.

Ross said the two were pressing ahead with this month's big event in Gympie, despite the hard hits the community has taken from floods.

Mr Sweetman credited the Davies with a big part in Gympie's important fundraising role.

"Gympie is a heavy hitter when it comes to Australian fundraising, largely because of what Ross and Daphne are doing," he said.

The Black and White Dinner starts at 6.30pm at the Gympie Civic Centre, with a limit of 300 people at $120 each.

Host Rosanna Natoli, of Seven Local News, will introduce senior University of Queensland clinical research fellow Judith Greer.

MS FACTS

MS affects 23,000 Australians;

The number is increasing 7% a year;

Gympie plays leading role in funding research;

Cure is said to be on the way possibly within six or seven years;

Cost to help - $120 each.