Lou Gehrig Day

The Reds are proud to celebrate Major League Baseball’s Lou Gehrig Day on June 2 at Great American Ball Park.

Since 2021, Major League Baseball has recognized Lou Gehrig Day across the league on June 2. The date marks when Gehrig became the Yankees’ starting first baseman, cementing the start of his incredible streak of consecutive games played, and signifies the day he passed from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The focus of Lou Gehrig Day is to remember the legacy of Gehrig and all those lost to the disease that bears his name; raise awareness and funds for research of ALS; and celebrate the groups and individuals who have led the pursuit for cures.

Each ticket purchased through the below organizations is welcome to attend the private ALS Pregame Event starting at 4:00 PM in the Fan Zone on June 2.

ALS TRIPLE PLAY INITIATIVE

During the pregame ceremonies, the Reds will honor three local ALS charities: Chair Force 1 Foundation, Always Lifting Spirits, Que4Care and Operation Ramp It Up. These organizations are partners with the Reds on the “ALS Triple Play Initiative.”

Que4Care

Smoke Justis is very honored to support ALS Patients locally through Que4Care. Over the past two years Que4Care has raised over $150,000 in support of the immediate needs of local patients and their families. Smoke Justis is especially proud to support the Triple Play Initiative organizations and the amazing work that they have done and continue to do. Please visit QUE4CARE.COM to see how you can join our community of support.

Always Lifting Spirts

Always Lifting Spirits was established in memory of Jeff Weber. Our mission is guided by the example and inspiration he provided, having bravely fought against ALS until August 2013. Throughout his life Jeff maintained his optimistic outlook and his commitment to helping others. We have chosen to donate lift chairs to support ALS patients, as these chairs ensure the safety of both the patient and their caregiver. Always Lifting Spirits donated 130 chairs, and the recipients consistently express their gratitude, sharing that sitting in their chair marked the first time they felt comfortable in quite some time. In addition to lift chairs, we have also begun donating shower buddy chairs. These chairs, too, prioritize the safety of both the patient and the caregiver.

ChairForce1

Chair Force 1 supplies wheelchair accessible vans and to those battling ALS and other neurological diseases in Greater-Cincinnati.

Operation Ramp It Up

Operation Ramp It Up provides freedom, independence and accessibility to ALS Patients and their families by installing aluminum wheelchair ramps.

ABOUT HOP ON A CURE

John Driskell Hopkins, celebrated by many as “Hop”, is a founding member, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist of the Grammy award-winning Zac Brown Band. Hop’s life took on a new purpose in December 2021 when he was diagnosed with ALS. With so many questions and unknown answers after receiving a fatal diagnosis, Hop and his wife, Jen, consumed every bit of information they could about ALS. They quickly realized the progress toward finding a cure has been painfully slow and that ALS research has been severely underfunded in comparison to other diseases we’ve managed to overcome.

Hop and Jen decided to become part of the solution, and in May of 2022, they launched the Hop On A Cure Foundation. Their goal is to bring a new spirit to the fight, leaving no stone unturned, and doing everything in their power to continue generating awareness and funding for research to slow the progression of ALS and ultimately find a cure.

ABOUT ALS UNITED OHIO

ALS United Ohio is the only local not-for-profit provider of free and comprehensive services to individuals and families living with ALS in Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana. We work directly with ALS families, and we know the people we serve by name. Our team members are more than employees—
they’re lifelines.

Donations stay local to support our mission-critical activities of providing local care, funding cutting edge
research, and advocating at state, and federal levels of government.

People living with ALS can benefit from services including:

Professional Case Management
Reimbursement Grants
Durable Medical Equipment Loans
Adaptive, Mobility and Smart Home Items
Augmentative Communications
In-Person and Virtual Support and Education Groups
Caregiver Support
And much more!

ABOUT LIVE LIKE LOU

The Live Like Lou Foundation is a national nonprofit organization named in honor of MLB Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig. In the face of his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Lou continued to live his life with courage, determination, and gratitude. Our vision is to leave ALS better than we found it by supporting families affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease, funding emerging researchers seeking meaningful treatments and cures for ALS and helping generate awareness of Lou Gehrig’s disease for the more than 30,000 people currently living with ALS in North America.