A SUPER-powered WP Engine Atlas Test Site

Joe&#039;s Atlas Experimentation Site

On June 3, the Greater Chicago Chapter of the <a href="https://www.als.org/">ALS Association</a> will host its <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR?pg=informational&amp;fr_id=15349&amp;type=fr_informational&amp;sid=7502">2023 Chicago Walk to Defeat ALS</a> fundraiser, with an aim of supporting patients and families living with <a href="https://alsnewstoday.com/what-is-als/">amyotrophic lateral sclerosis</a> (ALS).
The 1.5-mile event will <a href="https://alsnewstoday.com/news/als-association-chapters-raise-funds-one-goes-to-bat-against-disease/">again take place</a> at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois. Funds raised through the Sunflower Field of Dreams-themed walk — the sunflower is the chapter&#8217;s official symbol — will support vital services provided to the ALS community in the greater Chicago area.
Specifically, monies will go to caregiver education, support groups, an equipment lending program, ALS multidisciplinary clinics, and more. So far, more than $263,000 has been raised toward this year&#8217;s goal of $550,000.
&#8220;The Chicago Walk to Defeat ALS is more than just a walk; it&#8217;s a powerful community event that brings hope and raises funds to combat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig&#8217;s disease,&#8221; the nonprofit stated in a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grand-slam-for-a-great-cause-walk-to-defeat-als-at-cantigny-park-on-june-3rd-301829878.html">press release</a>.
&#8220;By participating in the Walk, you are making a significant impact on the lives of individuals and families facing this devastating neurodegenerative disease,&#8221; the organization said.
[recommended-reading id=75782]
<h3>Monies raised in ALS fundraiser stay in Chicago area</h3>
Participants may <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR?fr_id=15349&amp;pg=entry">register for the event</a> online or by contacting the organization at 312-932-0000. Walkers may join a team or go solo. Check-in for the free family-friendly event — aimed at patients and supporters of all ages — opens at 8 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10 a.m.
In addition to supporting the ALS Association&#8217;s Greater Chicago Chapter, the <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/SPageServer/?pagename=WLK_landing">nonprofit&#8217;s signature fundraiser</a> offers an opportunity to come together with friends, family members, colleagues, and others to support the ALS community. The event also seeks to heighten ALS awareness.
&#8220;This year, we invite you to step into a Sunflower Field of Dreams as we come together to support those affected by ALS,&#8221; the organization stated.
While there is no fundraising minimum, those who raise at least $90 for the ALS Association will receive an exclusive event T-shirt. Those raising more than $300 also will earn a long-sleeved shirt with the organization&#8217;s theme logo.
[quote align=&#8221;center&#8221;]This year, we invite you to step into a Sunflower Field of Dreams as we come together to support those affected by ALS.[/quote]
An hourlong <a href="https://youtu.be/8GOyxLVD-ng">webinar about the event</a> is available, and the chapter will provide pledge sheets, social media tools, and other resources. Those who are unable to make the June 3 event are encouraged to participate in a chapter &#8220;<a href="https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/Walks/Chicago?sid=11730&amp;type=fr_informational&amp;pg=informational&amp;fr_id=15349">Mini-Walk</a>&#8221; — which can be done anywhere, at any time, and for any distance.
&#8220;As we gather in the Sunflower Field of Dreams, we celebrate the vibrant symbol of the sunflower, which embodies strength, resilience, and hope &#8211; qualities that mirror the spirit of our ALS community,&#8221; the organization notes. &#8220;Inspired by the legacy of Lou Gehrig, who courageously faced ALS in 1939, the Sunflower Field of Dreams represents our collective dream of a world without ALS.&#8221;
For more information, send an email to kendra@alsachicago.org.

This year’s Chicago Walk to Defeat ALS set for Wheaton’s Cantigny Park

The <a href="https://www.mda.org/">Muscular Dystrophy Association</a> (MDA) is hosting its 16th annual <a href="https://one.bidpal.net/AtlantaNightofHope2023/welcome">MDA Atlanta Night of Hope Gala: A Benefit for ALS Research</a> to raise funds for <a href="https://alsnewstoday.com/what-is-als/">amyotrophic lateral sclerosis</a> (ALS) research and care.
The event will be held 6-11 p.m. EDT March 25 at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. It will open with a reception and silent auction, followed by dinner, event programming, a live auction, and dancing. Individual <a href="https://one.bidpal.net/AtlantaNightofHope2023/ticketing(details:ticketing-summary)">tickets</a> are $375 with various pricing available for tables.
Since its inception, the gala has raised more than $10.5 million for the organization&#8217;s ALS research program and ALS Care Center at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
&#8220;Participants at this event demonstrate not only a measure of their financial support for ALS research but represent a personal commitment of people&#8217;s time and emotion to join us on our mission to discover new treatments that will slow or stop this terrible disease,&#8221; Jonathan Glass, MD, director of the MDA/ALS Care Center at Emory University School of Medicine, said in a <a href="https://www.mda.org/press-releases/mdas-annual-als-fundraiser-night-of-hope-gala-in-atlanta-honors-the-late-joe-cain-with-his-wife-alisa-cain-and-family">MDA press release</a>.
[recommended-reading id=82702]
<h3>Honoring the Cain family with 2023 MDA Steve Ennis Hope Award</h3>
During the Night of Hope Gala, the organization will also honor late ALS patient <a href="https://one.bidpal.net/AtlantaNightofHope2023/custom/custom1">Joe Cain and his family</a> with the 2023 MDA Steve Ennis Hope Award. Cain died from ALS complications in November.
The award, which recognizes the family&#8217;s dedication to making a difference in the ALS community, will be presented to Cain&#8217;s wife Alisa Cain and their family.
&#8220;ALS is a thief. It steals so much. I hope to raise more awareness about what ALS is and make more strides in funding research so we can assure our children and their children that an ALS diagnosis isn&#8217;t a two-to-five-year death sentence,&#8221; said Alisa Cain. &#8220;Any disease diagnosis is scary and will rattle you but not break all of you. Currently ALS breaks you. Let&#8217;s be the generation that changes that. Let&#8217;s let our HOPE be the guide to get us there.&#8221;
Her husband was diagnosed in 2020 after experiencing exhaustion and leg weakness and received care from Glass at Emory. Following the diagnosis, the Cain family was determined to make the most of its new reality.
&#8220;We&#8217;re coming together as a community to celebrate the life of our honoree, Joe Cain, and give strength to his family,&#8221; said Jeremy Kraut-Ordover, chief development officer at MDA. &#8220;Through MDA&#8217;s investments in ALS research and care we are seeing great progress. Fundraising events like the &#8216;Night of Hope&#8217; help us accelerate treatments and advance care for people diagnosed with this devastating disease. We are so grateful for the continued engagement by the Cain family, alongside our dedicated committee members and sponsors.&#8221;
Before his diagnosis, Cain, a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in electrical engineering, learned that a friend and coworker had developed ALS. To show his support, Cain became involved with the Night of Hope fundraiser. In his memory, Alisa Cain  is committed to encouraging and supporting others on their ALS journey.
According to Glass, the current ALS research landscape provides ample reason for hope.
&#8220;I was at the first MDA Night of Hope gala 16 years ago, and this amazingly successful fundraising event has grown enormously over the years. Today, we are beginning to see the fruits of the investments made both in basic research and in drug development. There are now two new drugs for ALS on the market that were not available even five years ago,&#8221; Glass added. &#8220;The number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms developing new drugs for ALS is now larger than it has ever been. Important scientific discoveries in ALS are being reported almost daily, and the number of young investigators, both students and junior scientists, who have dedicated their careers to ALS research continues to grow.&#8221;
Since its beginning, more than $174 million has been invested in ALS research by the MDA.

Tag: fundraiser

This year’s Chicago Walk to Defeat ALS set for Wheaton’s Cantigny Park

MDA’s Night of Hope in Atlanta to honor late ALS patient and family