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Walk to Defeat ALS® – Saturday 9/17 @ 9a at the 6th Street Athletic Complex in OC

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Walkers in team t-shirts with personal stories and connections to ALS

Families, Friends, and Neighbors affected by ALS head to the Boardwalk for

The Ocean City Board… Walk to Defeat ALS® presented by ShopRite & Their Customers and Universal Supply Company

Who What:

People with ALS, family members, friends, caregivers, and others affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease are coming together for the 2016 Ocean City Board… Walk to Defeat ALS® Presented by Universal Supply Company and ShopRite & Their Customers. The event will raise funds for research and community-based patient services programs for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease, which causes patients to eventually lose control of all voluntary muscles of the body.  The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter, with financial support from the Walk to Defeat ALS® and other events, funds groundbreaking research and provides valuable services for over 1,000 people living with ALS in central and southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and all of Delaware.

“The Ocean City Board… Walk to Defeat ALS® brings families together from across southern New Jersey to fund ALS care and research,” said Chapter Executive Director Jim Pinciotti. “This walk is always an empowering day for our ALS families who see the direct impact from events like this as we work together for a cure.”

This summer, Village ShopRite stores raised over $95,000 for the Ocean City Board…Walk to Defeat ALS. The chain of stores is a longtime ally for ALS families in New Jersey and beyond.

When: Saturday, September 17.   Registration begins at 9:00 AM Walk begins at 10:00 AM

Where: 6th Street Athletic Complex Ocean City, NJ Registration at www.oceancitywalktodefeatals.org 

Why:

ALS was first described in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but it wasn’t until 1939 that Lou Gehrig brought national and international attention to the disease when he abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with ALS. Most commonly, the disease strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.  ALS has affected the lives of football players Steve Gleason and O.J. Brigance, U.S. Senator Jacob Javits, and many others.

People with ALS gradually lose the ability to walk, move their arms, swallow, talk and even breathe. Military veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS compared to the general population.  While research is increasing understanding of the disease, ALS currently has no effective treatment or cure.  Without mechanical ventilation, the average life expectancy for a person with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis, although some people live more than 10 years.

The ALS Association and its local chapters are leading the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. For more information, visit the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter website at www.alsphiladelphia.org.

 

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