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Date: 5/1/2015
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Walk to Defeat ALS will take place on May 30 at Forest Park in Springfield.
Beginning with a 9 a.m. check in and registration, the walk starts at 11 a.m. The three-mile walk seeks to raise over $50,000 to sustain care services and support research to find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The last Walk to Defeat ALS was five years ago, and this marks the return of the event to the region.
The goal is to recruit over 20 teams, with 12 teams already registered for this event. Top fundraising teams are Baystate ALS Clinic, Team Papa and Team Berkshire County.
WEEI-FM is the media sponsor for the Springfield Walk to Defeat ALS.
There will be family fun and kids activities and participants completing the walk will receive discounted Forest Park Zoo passes.
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 15th 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 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 , email info@als-ma.org, or visit http://web.alsa.org/springfieldwalk2015.