The Worcester Walk to Defeat ALS will be held on
Saturday, May 3rd at Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium in
Worcester. Beginning with 9am check in
and registration, the Walk starts at 11am.
The 2-mile walk seeks to raise over $75,000 to sustain care services and
support research to find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s
Disease.
Over 23 teams are already registered for this event, with 6
teams new to the 2014 Walk. The goal is
to have 40 teams.
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This year’s corporate sponsors of the Worcester Walk to
Defeat ALS are: Gold Level – Fallon
Health; Bronze Level – Oriol Health Care (also a 2013 sponsor), Grafton
Suburban Credit Union, and Reliant Medical Group - Atrius Health. In kind
sponsors are: Polar Beverages and Papa
Gino’s, both returning for this year, and Panera Bread and Price Chopper.
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The 2014 Media Sponsor is the Worcester Telegram &
Gazette.
Providing fun and entertainment for the participants will be
Lauren Clinch of Imagination Face Art, returning to the Walk this year to
provide face painting; David Mires of Flash & Dance DJ, and the group will
have a Zumba warm-up. Also on hand for
the festivities will be corporate mascots, “Slice” from Papa Gino’s, “Orson”,
from Polar Beverages, and “Fins” from The Worcester Sharks.
Local artist, Joe Manzello, will be a featured guest speaker,and will tell his personal story about the ALS journey.
The Worcester Walk to Defeat ALS is in its second year and
has raised over $60,000 to date. “Shout
Out” teams, recognized for superior fundraising, to date are: Snap, Crackle, Pop, Pop with over $3,300
raised; Brenda’s Firecrackers, with $2,525 raised; Team Wally, with over
$1,595, Val, with close to $1,000, and Team Frank!, with over $850. Top Individual Walker to date is Celine
Vienneau with over $1,535 raised to date.
The Walk to Defeat ALS is a national signature event and
each year, over 150,000 individuals, many from local companies and
organizations, join together to raise funds in support of the ALS cause. Now in its 14th year,
approximately 175 Walks will be held throughout the US in a nationwide effort
to raise $23 million. Since its
inception, thousands of people throughout the country have raised over 184
million dollars to fight ALS.
ALS often referred to
as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that
affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS weakens every voluntary muscle in the
body including those associated with walking, talking, moving, swallowing, and
breathing. As an ALS patient becomes
weaker his/her mind and senses usually remain intact the entire time. There is no cure for ALS. The average life expectancy is five years or
less.
The ALS Association is the only nonprofit organization
fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front.
Through global research, assistance for people with ALS through a
nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through
certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, the
Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively
searching for new treatments. For more
information on the Worcester Walk to Defeat ALS and for assistance in putting a
team together, contact 781-255-8884 or go to
http://web.alsa.org/worcesterwalk2014 or email info@als-ma.org.
