"A Swingin' Concert for Hope"

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Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson poses with auction items; photo credit: Robert E. Patterson

Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson poses with auction items; photo credit: Robert E. Patterson

On Thursday, July 23rd, the ALS Hope Foundation and the Media Theatre presented "A Swingin' Concert for Hope." This event featured local crooner Jeff Coon and the Summer Club along with a  17-piece big band, plus special musical guests.

Frank and Ramona Gwynn pose with Hope Ambassador Bernie Parent; Photo Credit: Robert E. Patterson

Frank and Ramona Gwynn pose with Hope Ambassador Bernie Parent; Photo Credit: Robert E. Patterson

Before the show, we enjoyed a VIP dinner with a celebrity meet-and-greet featuring our Hope Ambassador, Flyers legend Bernie Parent. (Thanks, Bernie!) We were also joined by special guest Sue Serio from Fox 29 News, who generously auctioned off an on-air appearance with her during a future weather segment.

During the event, we hosted wonderful silent auction that featured two Apple iWatches, as well as items generously donated by Josh Groban, Cole Hamels, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), the Flyers, the 76ers, the Union, Painting with a Twist, Del Frisco's Steakhouse, the Walnut Street Theatre, the Media Theatre, and more!

"A Swingin' Concert for Hope" was a huge success and  raised over $55,000! Thanks to our evening's sponsors, Frank and Ramona Gwynn, 100% of the proceeds went to the ALS Hope Foundation. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Media Theatre for a great night and saw a fantastic show! Thanks also to our many supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and donors. We are grateful to all who contributed. It paid off in a big way! 

Thanks to our auction donors!
Sue Serio
Philadelphia 76ers
Josh Groban and the Find Your Light Foundation
Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Philadelphia Flyers
The Hamels Foundation
The Philadelphia Union
Hooters (Philadelphia Music Group)
Ramona Gwynn
Delfrisco's Steak House
Painting with a Twist CC
Total Wine and More Cherry Hill
Isos Jewelry
Panera Bread
Target
The Media Theatre
The Walnut Street Theatre
Cakes and Candies by Mary Ellen
Spasso

Thanks to our  generous sponsors!
Frank and Ramona Gwynn
IMC Construction
Eileen Vass
Walter Korn
Offit Kurman
Patterson, Kleher, Harison, Harvey, Branzburg
Monarch

 

2nd Annual Tom MacAdams and Eileen Vitola 5k Run/1 Mile Walk Raises $23,000!

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On Monday July 20th, Jackie Nicodemo from the ALS Hope Foundation attended a check presentation at Borough Hall in Brooklawn, New Jersey.  The funds received came from the 2nd Annual Tom MacAdams and Eileen Vitola 5k Run & 1 Mile Walk, which took place on April 11th, 2015. 

Event Chairperson Julie McCleary, alongside Dee and Colin MacAdams, presented the ALS Hope Foundation with a check for $23,000. Along with last year's funds, MacAdams and Vitola event has raised over $48,000 in just two years!

All the funds raised by this event will support the ALS Hope Foundation's programs and the MDA/ALS Center of Hope. These funds make a difference to people living with ALS in our region and beyond!

The ALS Hope Foundation would like to thank everyone who participated in the Tom MacAdams and Eileen Vitola Run/Walk, especially our organizers. Your efforts paid off tremendously. We are grateful for your commitment to fighting ALS!

 

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Returning This August!

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The following is a press release shared by all the organizations in the North American network Collaboration for a Cure. The ALS Hope Foundation is proud to participate in Collaboration for a Cure and to be a part of the effort to bring organizations together in service of our common goal: to make a difference in the lives of people with ALS. We are announcing the Ice Bucket Challenge's return this August - and every August until a cure. Learn more by reading below and visiting www.alsicebucketchallenge.org!

 
 

Two ALS patients who co-founded the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, together with 15 ALS organizations, announced today a collaborative effort to launch the Challenge again this August. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge became a global phenomenon in 2014 and raised $220 million globally for ALS research and patient care.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis, due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. There is no known cure for the disease. However, as a result of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014 significant new investments in research on the causes of and potential treatments for ALS have been made.

Co-founders Pat Quinn and Pete Frates will kick off this year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on July 31 in Boston. The two ALS patients, their families and a steering committee of nonprofits have been working together since last year and are putting the final touches on a special launch event. A dedicated website – www.alsicebucketchallenge.org – was unveiled today to inform people about ALS and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and to make it easier for them to donate to an ALS organization of their choosing.

“Last year gave the ALS community hope for the first time in a long time,” said Quinn, who lives in Yonkers, N.Y., and was diagnosed with ALS two years ago. “But we still need the public’s help to keep the momentum going. We plan to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge again this August and every August until we find a cure.”

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a viral video phenomenon that soaked the nation and the world for the first time in August 2014. A person dumps a bucket of ice and water over his or her head, challenging three friends to either do the same, donate to the ALS charity of their choice, or both. More than 17 million videos of people taking the challenge were posted on Facebook alone last year. These videos were watched by 440 million people a total of 10 billion times.

“The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge represents all that’s great about this country – it’s about fun, friends, family, and it makes a difference to all of us living with ALS,” said Frates, who lives in Beverly, Mass., and was diagnosed with ALS when he was 27 years old. “I am so proud that ALS organizations have come together to support me and my family and the whole ALS community as we unite to launch this year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.”

All told, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge led to more than $220 million in donations to ALS-oriented nonprofits, including some of those leading this year’s collaborative launch effort. Much of the donations raised by ALS nonprofits during last year’s challenge has already been invested or allocated to support new ALS research efforts, increased advocacy, and expanded and improved local care and services for people diagnosed with ALS, their families, and care providers.

This announcement represents the largest coordinated effort of ALS nonprofits to date, and many of the organizations hope to work more closely together not only on awareness and fundraising activities such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but also on providing crucial patient services and accelerating ALS research.

The ALSIceBucketChallenge.org website was created pro bono by TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York City.

Participating ALS Organizations: The ALS Association, ALS Canada, ALS Hope Foundation, ALS Therapy Development Institute, ALS Worldwide, Answer ALS, International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, Iron Horse Foundation, Les Turner Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Prize4Life, Project A.L.S., Target ALS, Team Gleason, and The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research.

About TBWA\Chiat\Day: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York is part of the TBWA Worldwide network. TBWA Worldwide (www.tbwa.com) is a top ten ranked global advertising network that holds Disruption® at its core to develop business-changing ideas for the brands it works with. TBWA has 11,100 employees across 323 offices in 97 countries and also includes brands such as AUDITOIRE, BEING, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and TBWA\WorldHealth. TBWA’s global clients include Accenture, adidas, Apple, Energizer, Gatorade, GSK, Henkel, Kraft, McDonald’s, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Sotheby’s and Vichy. Follow TBWA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.


 

Challenge Atlantic City

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On June 28, Mike McDevitt, the leader of Team #IMAGAINSTALS (@IMAGAINSTALS), participated in the Challenge Atlantic City triathlon. Mike completed a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Congratulations on all of your hard work and training!

Mike raised over $4,000, and all the donations went directly to the ALS Hope Foundation in loving memory of his uncle, Dan Pellegrino (May 2, 1955 to November 21. 2014).

Thank you, Mike, for your commitment to fighting ALS! We are grateful for your ongoing support of the ALS Hope Foundation. 

 

ALS/MND Without Borders: Global Day 2015

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ALS advocates from across the globe celebrated June 21st as Global ALS Day. This was a day to educate the public about ALS (also called Motor Neuron Disease or MND in other countries) and bring hope to those affected by this disease worldwide.

This year, the ALS Hope Foundation proudly participated in a global social media campaign with the help of our many collaborators around the world and our friends at the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.

Organizations and advocates from across the world used the hashtag #ALSMNDWithoutBorders to raise awareness and highlight the ways that we are sharing resources and ideas across national boundaries to combat ALS and related motor neuron diseases.

Learn more about the campaign by browsing our Facebook and Twitter feeds, visiting the Alliance's global day page, and searching for the hashtag#ALSMNDWithoutBorders on Twitter.

Thank you to all who shared messages of hope and cooperation with us on June 21st!

 

The 14th Annual Research Update and Awards Luncheon

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The clinic team poses on the day of the luncheon; PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT E. PATTERSON

The clinic team poses on the day of the luncheon; PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT E. PATTERSON

On Sunday May 31st, The ALS Hope Foundation hosted its annual Research Update and Awards Luncheon at the Marriot Philadelphia West in Conshohocken. Close to 100 people from the ALS Hope Foundation community were in attendance, including PALS, their families,  the clinic team, advocates, and supporters.

Our guest speaker was Dr. Richard Bedlack, Director of the Duke ALS clinic and founder of ALS Untangled. Dr. Bedlack spoke to us about his latest research project on ALS reversals. There are rare instances in which a person with ALS stops progressing or even gets better. His clinic, along with 20 others worldwide have teamed up to understand these ALS reversals and, perhaps, make them happen more often with the help of clinical trials and the social network Patients Like Me. Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson, President of the ALS Hope Foundation,  took the stage after him and explained the ALS Hope Foundation's newest programs and our most recent and exciting research projects.

After her update, Dr. Heiman-Patterson presented the awards. The Sunrise Award was given to Dan Pellegrino for having demonstrated the highest level of commitment to the ALS Hope Foundation by tirelessly supporting its mission and fundraising. Dan tragically lost his battle with ALS on November 21, 2014, but his dedicated family continues to support our efforts. They accepted this award on his behalf. 

several honorees pose with dr. heiman-patterson and the mda/als center of hope team; Photo Credit: Robert E. Patterson

several honorees pose with dr. heiman-patterson and the mda/als center of hope team; Photo Credit: Robert E. Patterson

The Courageous Heart Award is reserved for  those who have taken a proactive role in the fight against ALS, advocating for PALS and supporting the ALS Hope Foundation while courageously battling ALS themselves. Our Courageous Heart winners for 2015 were Dennis Casey, Sharon Corosanite, H. Todd Kelly, Denise Richards, and Karen Gallimore. We would like to again thank you for everything that you do to keep hope on the horizon! Your courage inspires us all. 

The Community Hope Award was given to Doug Fowler and to Ram Consulting in recognition of their outstanding support and dedication to the ALS Hope Foundation. Finally, the Extraordinary Honoree Award was given to Bernie Parent in appreciation for his service and dedication to promoting ALS awareness. His efforts and continued support are greatly appreciated. We also acknowledged our Horizon Honors, a title given to individuals or organizations who have helped to keep hope on the horizon by contributing or raising over $1,000 in 2015.

All honorees and speakers inspired everyone in attendance. May we all remember their courage and their dedication as we continue to keep Hope on the horizon!