Summer News 2024
This summer, we celebrate our progress over the past decade and look forward to further advancements in our ongoing fight for a cure. Together, we are making significant strides toward a cure and we hope you will join us for one of our many wonderful events planned for this summer including:
- Iron Horse Golf Classic at Sands Point Golf Club on August 12th
- Register for one of our three Fall Walks
- Save the Date Lou Gehrig Legacy Gala November 12th
Scroll down below to learn more about each of these events and all that we continue to accomplish together. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our cause.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we end ALS.
CARE SERVICES
ALS United Greater New York proudly unveiled our new series, "Conversations With...," earlier this year with two episodes. This series delves into the hard decisions and personal experiences of living with ALS. It is designed to address topics that are often sensitive and deeply personal that might not come up in regular support groups but provoke profound thought and questioning.
WALK ALS
ALS United Greater New York had a robust start to the 2024 Walk ALS season. We hosted three Walks throughout the region this spring: Walk ALS New York City, on May 4, Walk ALS Westchester, on June 1, and Walk ALS North Jersey, on June 9. The spring Walks were a great success, raising over $600,000 thanks to the dedication of the walkers, patients, and donors. There is still time to register for the upcoming fall Walks.
RESEARCH
ALS United and its dedicated member organizations have made a significant step in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) by supporting the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) ALS initiative. This groundbreaking project, managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), aims to expedite the development of effective treatments for ALS.
ADVOCACY
Staff from ALS United Greater New York, traveled to Washington D.C. on April 30th, where they met with New Jersey patient advocate Melanie Craig, accompanied by her husband and son, to advocate for legislative measures aimed at significantly improving the lives of individuals affected by ALS.
ALS AWARENESS AT NEW YORK BALLPARKS
ALS United Greater New York celebrated the legacy of Lou Gehrig with the Mets, the New York Yankees, and the Brooklyn Cyclones this summer. We were joined by many friends and family at Citi Field on Sunday, June 2nd for the 4th annual Lou Gehrig Day, which was commemorated across all Major League Baseball parks on that date. On Thursday, July 4th, we were honored to be on the field with Her ALS Story, I AM ALS, Ride for ALS, and Quinn for the Win at the New York Yankees game to help celebrate ALS Day and honor the legacy of Lou Gehrig on the 85th anniversary of his “Luckiest Man Alive” speech. On July 20th the Brooklyn Cyclones held its first ALS Awareness Night, at Maimonides Park as part of the Cyclones' game against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Ron Reisman, from the Long Island Walk Team FOR THE LOVE OF JEMMA, threw out the first pitch.
CLINIC SPOTLIGHT
Hackensack Meridian Health has opened the Hackensack Meridian Health & Wellness Center at Paramus, providing convenient access to care in an outpatient setting. This new site houses the state-of-the-art Neuroscience Institute and its ALS clinic under the direction of Dr. Florian Thomas.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The ALS United Board of Directors comprises 18 dedicated and compassionate professionals with diverse expertise, many of whom have a personal connection to ALS. We are honored to welcome a new member and to welcome back another.
20th Anniversary of the Safenowitz Fellowships
In 2004, former ALS United Greater New York Board Member Marilyn Safenowitz established the Milton Safenowitz Post-Doctoral Fellowship for ALS Research in memory of her husband Milton, who died of ALS in 1998. This two-year fellowship offers unique opportunities for recent Ph.D. graduates to engage in cutting-edge ALS research, encouraging promising young scientists to enter the ALS field. Since its inception, nearly 100 fellowships have been awarded.
LOU GEHRIG LEGACY GALA
This year’s Lou Gehrig Legacy Gala will be held on Tuesday, November 12th at Pier Sixty in New York City. The Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Daniel L. Doctoroff, Founder and Chairman of Target ALS. For more information contact events@als-ny.org.