| WHO/ WHAT: | People with ALS, family members, caregivers, and others affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) are coming together for the 2017 Ocean City Board… Walk to Defeat ALS® Presented by ShopRite & Their Customers. The event will raise funds for research and community-based care services programs for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS 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 support from the Walk to Defeat ALS® and other events, funds groundbreaking research and provides services for over 1,200 people living with ALS in central and southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and all of Delaware. “The Ocean City Board… Walk to Defeat ALS® is an uplifting day for all families affected by ALS in New Jersey,” said Event Coordinator Taylor Montgomery. “Every team has a story, and those stories inspire us not just one walk day, but every day, to do all that we can to raise money and awareness to end ALS once and for all.” This summer, Village ShopRite stores raised nearly $100,000 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. The Ocean City Board…Walk to Defeat ALS was started by the Goudie family 15 years ago. This August, they participated in the @alsphiladelphia Talk to Defeat ALS podcast, which is available on iTunes or at https://alsphiladelphia.podbean.com/ Read the story about team George’s Team Green at: https://medium.com/@ALSphiladelphia/10-years-of-green-to-fight-als-e3fe643206e3 One of the top fundraisers, Teresa Wright-Gustray, shared her story called “Badge of Courage” https://medium.com/@ALSphiladelphia/badge-of-courage-c2754901d062 |
| WHEN: | Saturday, September 16. 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 |
| PHOTO/ INTERVIEW: WHY: | Walkers in team t-shirts with personal stories and connections to ALS 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. 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 mission of The ALS Association is to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. For more information, visit the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter website at www.alsphiladelphia.org. |
