Upstate New York Chapter
News Release
/ 890 7th North Street, Suite 108Liverpool, NY 13088
Phone: 315.413.0121 Fax: 315.413.0508
Contact:
The ALS Association
Upstate New York ChapterKathy Lahey, Executive Director
315.413.0121
Join The ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS and Help to Fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Syracuse, New York (August 8, 2012) -The ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter, announces its annual Walk toDefeat ALS® onSunday, August 12, 2012 at Otsiningo Park, Binghamton, N.Y. The Walk is open to the public, and all funds raised will be donated to The ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding the cause and cure of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating and fatal neuromuscular disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. on August 12 with the opening ceremony starting at 10 a.m.
This year’s Walk to Defeat ALS will be led by the “Honorary Person with ALS,” Norman French of Vestal, N.Y. and his team “Team Normy.” French was diagnosed with ALS in 2008.
“We’re very pleased Norm has honored us by accepting this role. He and his wife Angie are special and very supportive of the Upstate New York Chapter. They have a close family and come together to attend the Walk and provide service by advocating for ALS patients”, said Kathy Lahey, Executive Director of the Upstate New York Chapter.
Unless a cure is found, more than 30,000 Americans living today will die from ALS. The financial cost to families of persons with ALS can be up to $250,000 per year, depleting entire savings of relatives and patients.
“Last year, the Binghamton Walk raised more than $72,000for cutting-edge research and vital patient services and saw approximately 600 walkers who came out to walk for those who no longer can,” Lahey said. The ALS Association is funded solely by donations, and the chapter offers all services to people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families free of charge.
To learn more about the Walk to Defeat ALS,call the chapter toll free at 866-499-7257 or visit
The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing 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 and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter, visit our website at
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