ALS Association to Recognize 30-Year Partnership with the Phillies
Annual Luncheon on Friday, November 14 Honors Three Decade Relationship between Phillies and Greater Philadelphia Chapter to Strike Out ALS
Philadelphia, PA - On Friday, November 14 at Loews Philadelphia Hotel, The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter will hold its Annual Luncheon to honor its 30-year partnership with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since 1984, the Phillies have raised over $15.2 million to strike out ALS, including $904,732 at the 2014 Phillies Phestival. The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter is proud to be the principal charity of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Speakers include members from Phillies leadership, as well as players Curt Schilling, Geoff Geary, and Cody Asche, who represent the three decades of this partnership. Additional speakers include persons with ALS and Greater Philadelphia Chapter leadership. The Phillies and Greater Philadelphia Chapter are also proud to have Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank and Daniel J. Hilferty, President and CEO of Independence Blue Cross as Co-Chairs of the Luncheon.
Stories about the 30-year relationship between the Phillies and the ALS Association can be found at http://www.alsphiladelphia.org/phillies30years These stories include retrospectives on persons such as Nancy Giles, John Weber, and Curt and Shonda Schilling. Since 1984, the Phillies have supported the fight against ALS through many events and programs, from the annual Phillies Phestival to the Fashion Show, Dog Walk, Holiday Party and Greater Philadelphia Walk to Defeat ALS®.
"It's astounding to think that 75 years have passed since Lou Gehrig first announced he had ALS, and yet there is still no known cure for this deadly disease," said John Weber, The ALS Association/Phillies Charities board member and Phillies Vice President, Sales & Ticket Operations. "The Phillies family is committed to helping to end ALS, and we are extremely thankful to our fans who have been behind this effort every step of the way."
"We are extremely grateful and proud of our 30-year relationship with the Phillies to support ALS families," said Chapter President Ellyn Phillips, who, along with her mother Malvina Charlestein, helped to start the three decade long partnership with the team. "Through the incredible efforts of the Phillies to raise money and awareness for our mission, our Chapter is able to assist over 850 people living with ALS in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware with treatment centers, in-home care, wheelchairs, nursing support, assistive technology and more. The Philadelphia Phillies are the absolute best teammates who work year round to accomplish our goal of ending ALS."
DATE: Friday, November 14th, 2014
TIME: 12:00 Noon - 2:00 PM
WHERE: Loews Philadelphia Hotel
1200 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
LINK: www.alsphiladelphia.org/luncheon
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. For unknown reasons, veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population. There is no cure, and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modestly extends survival.