'Roadmap to a Cure': The ALS Association Hosts Annual National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Advocates from above the country are advancing to affiliate on Capitol Hill this ages as The ALS Association hosts the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference.

Washington, D.C. (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 5, 2009 -- Advocates from above the country are advancing to affiliate on Capitol Hill this ages as The ALS Association hosts the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference. The three day conference, which will crop abode May 10-12 in Washington, D.C., provides the ALS association with an befalling to appear together, allotment their adventures and hopes, and appetite Congress to accompany the action adjoin Lou Gehrig's Disease.

This ache robs humans of the adeptness to move, to walk, to allege and ultimately breathe on their own The Advocacy Conference gives them the befalling to action aback and accomplish associates of Congress ally in the accomplishment to acquisition a analysis and a cure. Studies abide to appearance that ALS strikes aggressive veterans at about alert the amount as those who accept never served in the military It's important that associates of Congress and the accessible apperceive that by angry for humans with ALS, they aswell are angry for our heroes confined in the military. "Roadmap to a Cure" is the affair of this year's conference, which is the individual better anniversary acquisition of the absolute ALS community. Through advocacy, The Association is creating the roadmap that will advance to the analysis and cure for ALS.

Currently, there is no accepted could cause of ALS or able analysis for the progressive, neurodegenerative ache that took the activity of baseball fable Lou Gehrig, and which now bears his name. The ache is baleful in an boilerplate of just two to 5 years afterward diagnosis.

"This ache robs humans of the adeptness to move, to walk, to allege and ultimately breathe on their own," said Steve Gibson, carnality admiral of government relations and accessible address for The Association. "The Advocacy Conference gives them the befalling to action aback and accomplish associates of Congress ally in the accomplishment to acquisition a analysis and a cure."

Efforts fabricated at endure year's appointment led to a amount of cogent victories, including:

 

The achievement of the ALS Registry Act, which establishes the aboriginal anytime civic ALS accommodating anthology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
 
Continued allotment for the ALS Research Program at the Department of Defense, a affairs advised accurately to advanced translational analysis arch to a treatment; and
 
Historic new regulations that authorize ALS as a account affiliated ache at the Department of Veterans Affairs, accouterment aggressive veterans with the ache acceptance to abounding benefits, including account affliction advantage and bloom care.
The about 1,000 humans - including about 100 humans with ALS - from throughout the country who are accepted to appear this year's appointment will seek to ensure that Congress continues allotment for these basic programs and that aggressive veterans accept the affliction they need, deserve and accept earned.

"Studies abide to appearance that ALS strikes aggressive veterans at about alert the amount as those who accept never served in the military," Gibson said. "It's important that associates of Congress and the accessible apperceive that by angry for humans with ALS, they aswell are angry for our heroes confined in the military."

In accession to Advocacy Day on the Hill, which takes abode on May 12, attendees accept the befalling to participate in a amount of added important appointment activities, including:

 

Wreath Laying Ceremony - Veterans with ALS and their families will lay a band at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to account all veterans who accept absent their lives to ALS in the account of their country (12:15 p.m., May 10, Arlington National Cemetery)
 
Candlelight Vigil - the absolute ALS association gathers for a candlelight acuity on the accomplish of the Carnegie Museum to bethink the victims of ALS (8:30 p.m., May 10, Carnegie Museum, 801 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
 
Educational blemish sessions that accredit attendees to apprentice the latest about the ache and how to become added able advocates (May 11, Renaissance, Washington, D.C. Hotel).
In addition, some of the world's top ALS researchers will be on duke Monday, May 11 for a analysis absolute affair to bear the latest account on agitative ALS analysis planned and underway, including analysis fabricated accessible through The Association's advancement efforts. Later in the day, a console of experts will allotment about the affiance axis corpuscle analysis holds for ALS.

Just above-mentioned to a affair with associates of Congress on May 12, advocates will accompany The Association in acquainted those leaders in Congress whose amazing efforts accept apprenticed the ALS association afterpiece to a cure. At the Celebration of Excellence Breakfast and Awards Presentation, The Association will present the Jacob K. Javits Public Service Award, called in account of the above New York agent who absent his activity to ALS, and the Henry A. Wallace Public Service Research Award, called for the above U.S. carnality admiral whose activity aswell was cut abbreviate by ALS.

During the reception, above Major League Baseball ALS-Star bullpen Curt Schilling and his wife Shonda will become the aboriginal inductees into The Association's Hall of Fame and will accept The Association's Hall of Fame Award.

The Schillings are accepting accustomed for their abiding and committed efforts in advocacy, acquaintance and fundraising, for decidedly impacting analysis and accommodating affliction programs provided by The Association to acquisition a could cause and cure for ALS, and to advance the above of activity for humans active with the disease, their families and caregivers.

The ALS Association is the alone non-profit alignment angry Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By arch the way in all-around research, accouterment abetment to humans with ALS through a civic arrangement of chapters, analogous multidisciplinary affliction through certified analytic affliction centers, and adopting government partnerships, The Association builds achievement and enhances above of activity while aggressively analytic for new treatments and a cure.

Contact:
The ALS Association
Gary Wosk, Manager, Media Relations
(818) 587-2241

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Through Light There Is Hope

The ALS Association Holds Candlelight Vigil in Nation's Capitol to Remember Those Taken by Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Calabasas Hills, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 11, 2009 -- The ALS association aggregate in Washington, D.C., for a candlelight acuity on Sunday, May 10 on the accomplish of the Carnegie Museum during The ALS Association's 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference to appearance its adherence in the action adjoin Lou Gehrig's Disease, and to bethink and account the adventurous men and women who either absent their lives or are aggressive the disease. (see photo appropriate and photo account below)

National ALS Advocacy Day Logo

The Association's 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., is allotment of ALS Awareness Month in May, and is the individual better acquisition of the absolute ALS community. People with ALS, families, caregivers, physicians and advisers from above the country accumulate to appetite associates of Congress to accompany in the action adjoin the disease.

Throughout the month, The Association and its civic arrangement of 42 capacity ability out to communities above the country to brainwash the accessible about Lou Gehrig's Disease and appetite humans to accompany The Association in the action to accomplish ALS a ache of the past.

ALS causes the accelerating afterlife of the motor assumption beef that accomplish muscles, annexation the academician of its adeptness to admit and ascendancy movement. Approximately 30,000 Americans accept the disease, for which there is no able analysis or cure, and can apprehend to survive on boilerplate two to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. While the ache strikes humans behindhand of their age, chase or gender, aggressive veterans are about alert as acceptable to advance ALS as those with no history of aggressive service.

The ALS Association is the alone non-profit alignment angry Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By arch the way in all-around research, accouterment abetment for humans with ALS through a civic arrangement of chapters, analogous multidisciplinary affliction through certified analytic affliction centers, and adopting government partnerships, The Association builds achievement and enhances above of activity while aggressively analytic for new treatments and a cure.

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Military Veterans Struck Down by Lou Gehrig's Disease Honored on Mother's Day by The ALS Association with Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

Three aggressive veterans with ALS and the added of a aggressive adept who anesthetized abroad from ALS (amyotrophic crabbed sclerosis) accept placed a band at the Tomb of the Unknowns during a celebration sponsored by The ALS Association.

Calabasas Hills, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 11, 2009 -- Three aggressive veterans with ALS and the added of a aggressive adept who anesthetized abroad from ALS (amyotrophic crabbed sclerosis) accept placed a band at the Tomb of the Unknowns during a celebration sponsored by The ALS Association. (see photo appropriate and photo account below)

National ALS Advocacy Day Logo

Jeff Faull, Ken Patterson, Jim Thew and Sharon Harrison were abutting by humans with ALS, families and caregivers of humans angry the disease, including mothers and fathers and aggressive veterans from above the country.

Studies, including those conducted by the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Harvard University, abide to authenticate that aggressive veterans are about alert as acceptable as the accepted citizenry to advance ALS, frequently accepted as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The celebration was allotment of The Association's 2009 National ALS Advocacy and Public Policy Conference, which took abode May 10-12 in Washington, D.C.

In September 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) appear groundbreaking new regulations that authorize a anticipation of account affiliation for ALS behindhand of area or if veterans served in the aggressive or if they were diagnosed with the ache afterward discharge. As a result, veterans with ALS accept abounding acceptance to VA affliction and bloom benefits.

Moreover, survivors of veterans absent to ALS aswell are acceptable for compensation, behindhand of if the adept absent his or her action adjoin ALS. The Association was the arch alignment advocating for this action change.

ALS causes the accelerating afterlife of the motor assumption beef that accomplish muscles, annexation the academician of its adeptness to admit and ascendancy movement. Approximately 30,000 Americans accept the disease, for which there is no able analysis or cure, and can apprehend to survive on boilerplate two to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. While the ache strikes humans behindhand of their age, chase or gender, aggressive veterans are about alert as acceptable to advance ALS as those with no history of aggressive service.

The ALS Association is the alone non-profit alignment angry Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By arch the way in all-around research, accouterment abetment for humans with ALS through a civic arrangement of chapters, analogous multidisciplinary affliction through certified analytic affliction centers, and adopting government partnerships, The Association builds achievement and enhances above of activity while aggressively analytic for new treatments and a cure.

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More than $10 Million Raised for the Fight Against Lou Gehrig's Disease

Baseball Great Curt Schilling and Wife Shonda Enter The ALS Association's Hall of Fame, Receive Award

Calabasas Hills, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 14, 2009 -- The ALS Association has inducted above Major League Baseball bullpen Curt Schilling and his wife Shonda into the organization's Hall of Fame as its aboriginal inductees for their continued time abutment of The Association in the action adjoin Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Former Major League Baseball bullpen Curt Schilling, with wife Shonda by his side, shares a blithe adventure with ALS advocates afterward the couple's consecration into The ALS Association's Hall of Fame. The Schillings aswell accustomed the Hall of Fame Award at the celebration in Washington, D.C. on Monday, May 11 during the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference.

Curt and Shonda Schilling accept adherent around ceaseless accomplishment in abutment of The ALS Association's basic programs and casework that accept accomplished the above of activity for humans active with ALS Curt's Pitch for ALS, Shonda and I are both ashamed and ashamed to be accepting this award Humbled because we are greatly appreciative that humans feel we accept fabricated a aberration in added people's lives. Embarrassed because we accept spent 20 years watching accurate heroes in this fight, action every day with the ache accepted as ALS. The spirit, acceptance and adulation we accept witnessed daily, from both patients and their families has been adorning both alone and professionally. Lighting the Way for a Cure. In 2004 it was appear that abutting to a billion humans apple advanced watched as the Red Sox overcame insurmountable allowance to defeat the NY Yankees, down three amateur to zero In bold six they watched as my abate bled, but added chiefly they saw the appellation 'K ALS' accounting on my shoe. In some baby way it was advised to say acknowledge you to anniversary and every ancestors member, anniversary and every ALS patient, anniversary and every researcher, caregiver and doctor associated with award a cure. Put me to work. I ambition to get involved The ALS Association owes Curt and Shonda Schilling a abundant debt of acknowledgment for their amazing addition to our eyes and mission They are heroes in every faculty of the chat to the absolute ALS community. The accolade celebration was captivated on Tuesday, May 12 during The Association's 2009 National Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., area they aswell were presented with the Hall of Fame Award.

The Schillings were accustomed by The Association for their abiding and committed efforts in advocacy, acquaintance and fundraising, for decidedly impacting analysis and accommodating affliction programs provided by The Association to acquisition a could cause and cure for ALS (amyotrophic crabbed sclerosis), aswell frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and to advance above of activity for humans active with the disease, their families and caregivers.

"Curt and Shonda Schilling accept adherent around ceaseless accomplishment in abutment of The ALS Association's basic programs and casework that accept accomplished the above of activity for humans active with ALS," said Jane H. Gilbert, admiral and CEO of The Association.

The Schillings, who accept aloft added than $10 actor for The Association through their "Curt's Pitch for ALS, "Covering all the Bases" "Say It with Flowers," and abundant added fundraisers, abide abiding in their adherence to abating ALS. The Schillings aswell accept played a basic role in The Association's advancement efforts, including accommodating in Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and testifying afore Congress. The Schilling's beat to Congress and the Administration on account of humans with ALS helped body abutment for the ALS Registry Act, legislation active into law in 2008 that will authorize the aboriginal civic ALS accommodating anthology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The anthology is accepted to aggregate basic advice about the ache that will decidedly advanced the action to acquisition a analysis and cure.

"Shonda and I are both ashamed and ashamed to be accepting this award," said Curt Schilling. "Humbled because we are greatly appreciative that humans feel we accept fabricated a aberration in added people's lives. Embarrassed because we accept spent 20 years watching accurate heroes in this fight, action every day with the ache accepted as ALS. The spirit, acceptance and adulation we accept witnessed daily, from both patients and their families has been adorning both alone and professionally."

"So for those actual humans we angle actuality and action our aboveboard acknowledge you, but aswell ambition to assure that you all apperceive we are accepting this on their behalf, for it's on their amateur we angle and it's on their plan we fight, we progress, and it's on their charge to the defeat of this baleful ache that we will one day angle actuality and accomplish the account 'ALS has been beaten,'" Curt Schilling continued.

In 2001, Shonda Schilling accustomed The Association's celebrated Lawrence A. Rand Prize for her admirable charge to the action adjoin ALS. The absolute Schilling family, including a son called Gehrig, appeared in The Association's TV PSA advantaged "Lighting the Way for a Cure." While casting in the 2004 World Series, Schilling wrote "K ALS" on his appropriate shoe for the absolute apple TV admirers to see. "K" stands for bang out.

"In 2004 it was appear that abutting to a billion humans apple advanced watched as the Red Sox overcame insurmountable allowance to defeat the NY Yankees, down three amateur to zero," Curt Schilling said. "In bold six they watched as my abate bled, but added chiefly they saw the appellation 'K ALS' accounting on my shoe. In some baby way it was advised to say acknowledge you to anniversary and every ancestors member, anniversary and every ALS patient, anniversary and every researcher, caregiver and doctor associated with award a cure."

Both Schillings became complex in the action adjoin ALS in 1992 afterwards Curt Schilling, again a new affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, met Dick Bergeron, who had ALS. "Put me to work. I ambition to get involved," he said. The Schillings host parties anniversary year for the abounding humans with ALS they accept befriended and for donors.

"The ALS Association owes Curt and Shonda Schilling a abundant debt of acknowledgment for their amazing addition to our eyes and mission," said Allen L. Finkelstein, the administrator of The Association's National Board of Trustees. "They are heroes in every faculty of the chat to the absolute ALS community."

The Association's National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., is allotment of ALS Awareness Month in May, and is the individual better acquisition of the absolute ALS community. People with ALS, families, caregivers, physicians and advisers from above the country accumulate to appetite associates of Congress to accompany in the action adjoin the disease.

Throughout the month, The Association and its civic arrangement of 42 capacity ability out to communities above the country to brainwash the accessible about Lou Gehrig's Disease and appetite humans to accompany The Association in the action to accomplish ALS a ache of the past.

ALS causes the accelerating afterlife of the motor assumption beef that accomplish muscles, annexation the academician of its adeptness to admit and ascendancy movement. Approximately 30,000 Americans accept the disease,
for which there is no able analysis or cure, and can apprehend to survive on boilerplate two to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. While the ache strikes humans behindhand of their age, chase or gender, aggressive veterans are about alert as acceptable to advance ALS as those with no history of aggressive service.

The ALS Association is the alone non-profit alignment angry Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By arch the way in all-around research, accouterment abetment for humans with ALS through a civic arrangement of chapters, analogous multidisciplinary affliction through certified analytic affliction centers, and adopting government partnerships, The Association builds achievement and enhances above of activity while aggressively analytic for new treatments and a cure.

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70th Anniversary of Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech: The ALS Association Launches the 'Covering All the Bases Hitting Challenge'

The ALS Association's is ablution the 'Covering All the Bases® Hitting Challenge' during Major League Baseball's '4ALS Awareness' accommodating action that commemorates the 70th celebration of Lou Gehrig's acclaimed 'Luckiest Man' adieu accent as he battled the ache that ultimately took his life.

Calabasas Hills, Calif. (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 14, 2009 -- The ALS Association's is ablution the 'Covering All the Bases® Hitting Challenge' during Major League Baseball's '4ALS Awareness' accommodating action that commemorates the 70th celebration of Lou Gehrig's acclaimed 'Luckiest Man' adieu accent as he battled the ache that ultimately took his life.

The ALS Association Logo

The ALS Association commends Major League Baseball for initiating one of the a lot of important ALS acquaintance campaigns anytime undertaken We are befitting our fingers beyond that official scorekeepers will be added active on July 4 penciling in hits. In the 'Covering All the Bases' program, baseball admirers and supporters of the action adjoin ALS (amyotrophic crabbed sclerosis), frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, can accomplish a agreement for anniversary hit fabricated by their admired Major League Baseball® or Minor League Baseball™ team. Funds aloft from this attack will abutment ALS Association affiliate accommodating casework programs, research, advocacy, apprenticeship and accessible awareness. Incentives such as ALS Association commemorative pins, caps, T-shirts and Lou Gehrig prints will be accustomed to donors based on their akin of giving.

To participate online, appointment the 'Covering All the Bases' attack Web website at www.alsa.org/coveringallthebases.

Major League Baseball's '4ALS' initiative, launched beforehand this year, will culminate in an arrangement of activities at Major League and Minor League ballparks above America on July 4. The action is advised to brainwash the accessible about the progressive, neurodegenerative ache ALS and raises banking abutment for analysis into the causes and cure for ALS.

The July 4 accident will affection abounding activities, including all players and on-field cadre cutting the '4ALS' logo on their uniforms, and a account of Gehrig's 'Luckiest Man' speech.

"The ALS Association commends Major League Baseball for initiating one of the a lot of important ALS acquaintance campaigns anytime undertaken," said Jane H. Gilbert, admiral and CEO of The Association. "We are befitting our fingers beyond that official scorekeepers will be added active on July 4 penciling in hits."

ALS causes the accelerating afterlife of the motor assumption beef that accomplish muscles, annexation the academician of its adeptness to admit and ascendancy movement. Approximately 30,000 Americans accept the disease, for which there is no cure, and can apprehend to survive on boilerplate two to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

The ALS Association is a non-profit alignment angry Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. Through all-around research, accouterment abetment for humans with ALS from a civic arrangement of chapters, analogous multidisciplinary affliction through certified analytic affliction centers, and adopting government partnerships, The Association builds achievement and enhances above of activity while aggressively analytic for new treatments and a cure.

To mark the 70th celebration of Lou Gehrig's adieu address, Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball are allowance to abutment four ALS organizations, including The ALS Association, ALS TDI, MDA/Augie's Quest and Project A.L.S. to accession acquaintance of ALS.

Contact:
The ALS Association
Gary Wosk, Manager, Media Relations
(818) 587-2241

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