Help recognize May as ALS Awareness Month!
Lend your voice to the fight against ALS this month to help bring awareness and understanding of this devastating disease. Become an ALS advocate, urge your representatives to support legislation that impacts the entire ALS community, and bring attention to the needs of people with ALS so, together, we can realize our dream of a world without ALS once and for all.
Celebrating our Champions for Care and a Cure
Dr. Steven Finkbeiner will receive the 2017 Commitment to a Cure Award for his pioneering work with neurodegenerative diseases and urgent focus on bringing effective treatments to the ALS community. Dr. Finkbeiner is the Director of the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and a Senior Investigator at the Roddenberry Stem Cell Center at the Gladstone Institutes. He is also a Professor of Neurology and Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and serves as a member of the California ALS Research Network. In addition, Dr. Finkbeiner is an Investigator in the Neuro Collaborative, a special initiative spearheaded by the Golden West Chapter that created a unique partnership between three leading laboratories in California, designed to accelerate the search for effective treatments and a cure for ALS.
Dr. Steven Finkbeiner will receive the 2017 Commitment to a Cure Award for his pioneering work with neurodegenerative diseases and urgent focus on bringing effective treatments to the ALS community. Dr. Finkbeiner is the Director of the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and a Senior Investigator at the Roddenberry Stem Cell Center at the Gladstone Institutes. He is also a Professor of Neurology and Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and serves as a member of the California ALS Research Network. In addition, Dr. Finkbeiner is an Investigator in the Neuro Collaborative, a special initiative spearheaded by the Golden West Chapter that created a unique partnership between three leading laboratories in California, designed to accelerate the search for effective treatments and a cure for ALS.
Helping Moms with ALS and their Kids
Being a mother can be tough, but raising young kids while also battling ALS is an entirely different kind of challenge. For a mom, not being able to help her child through this difficult time is especially hard. Children in a family battling ALS may find themselves not understanding what is happening, isolated from either one or both of their parents, scared, and restricted in how they can help. Today, you have an opportunity to make a difference by helping moms send their kids to specialized summer camps for children with a loved one fighting ALS!
Being a mother can be tough, but raising young kids while also battling ALS is an entirely different kind of challenge. For a mom, not being able to help her child through this difficult time is especially hard. Children in a family battling ALS may find themselves not understanding what is happening, isolated from either one or both of their parents, scared, and restricted in how they can help. Today, you have an opportunity to make a difference by helping moms send their kids to specialized summer camps for children with a loved one fighting ALS!
Change Your Facebook Status to Red
Red is the official color of The ALS Association, and thanks to a new feature on Facebook, you can use this attention-grabbing color to bring awareness to the cause. Post red status updates about ALS Awareness Month and let your friends know that they can play a role in finding a cure! To change your Facebook status background color:
1. From your news feed, click in the “What’s on your mind?” status update box.
2. Click on “Background Color.”
3. Click on the solid red circle (fourth circle from the left).
4. Type in your status and click “Post.”
Red is the official color of The ALS Association, and thanks to a new feature on Facebook, you can use this attention-grabbing color to bring awareness to the cause. Post red status updates about ALS Awareness Month and let your friends know that they can play a role in finding a cure! To change your Facebook status background color:
1. From your news feed, click in the “What’s on your mind?” status update box.
2. Click on “Background Color.”
3. Click on the solid red circle (fourth circle from the left).
4. Type in your status and click “Post.”
Help Teach Siri About ALS Awareness
Update: SUCCESS! Help Teach Siri About ALS Awareness
Updated on 5/11/17: We did it! Thanks to your overwhelming support in petitioning Apple, Siri was updated in less than 24 hours. Now asking Siri, “What is ALS?” brings up the following definition:
“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease and motor neuron disease (MND), is a specific disease that causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles.”
—
“Siri, what is ALS?”
As we detail in our latest article,
the popular Siri voice recognition app doesn’t know how to answer that
question. If you have an iPhone or any other Apple device (as tens of
millions of people do), you can test it out for yourself.For ALS Awareness Month, we’re asking Apple to fix the problem. We’ve started an online petition requesting that Apple update its Siri app so people can use it to learn about ALS. But we need your help! The more online signatures we get, the more likely Apple will listen and make the change.
Update: SUCCESS! Help Teach Siri About ALS Awareness
Updated on 5/11/17: We did it! Thanks to your overwhelming support in petitioning Apple, Siri was updated in less than 24 hours. Now asking Siri, “What is ALS?” brings up the following definition:
“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease and motor neuron disease (MND), is a specific disease that causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles.”
—
“Siri, what is ALS?”
As we detail in our latest article,
the popular Siri voice recognition app doesn’t know how to answer that
question. If you have an iPhone or any other Apple device (as tens of
millions of people do), you can test it out for yourself.For ALS Awareness Month, we’re asking Apple to fix the problem. We’ve started an online petition requesting that Apple update its Siri app so people can use it to learn about ALS. But we need your help! The more online signatures we get, the more likely Apple will listen and make the change.
Advancing ALS Research
From harnessing innovative ideas, to translating concepts to therapies, to advancing treatments to people living with ALS – The ALS Association’s collaborative and global approach to funding research continues to lead to significant discoveries by top ALS scientists around the world.
Advancing ALS Research
From harnessing innovative ideas, to translating concepts to therapies, to advancing treatments to people living with ALS – The ALS Association’s collaborative and global approach to funding research continues to lead to significant discoveries by top ALS scientists around the world.
Donate Now to Make a Real Impact
Each contribution to the fight against ALS – no matter how seemingly large or small – adds up. During ALS Awareness Month, please consider making a donation. Then, tell your friends why the fight against ALS matters to you and encourage them to make a contribution, too!
Donate Now to Make a Real Impact
Each contribution to the fight against ALS – no matter how seemingly large or small – adds up. During ALS Awareness Month, please consider making a donation. Then, tell your friends why the fight against ALS matters to you and encourage them to make a contribution, too!
2017 Advocacy Conference
Congress needs to know about ALS and its true impact on those living with the disease and their families. On May 14 - May 16, ALS Advocates from across the country will take to Capitol Hill later this month for meetings with their legislators.
Congress needs to know about ALS and its true impact on those living with the disease and their families. On May 14 - May 16, ALS Advocates from across the country will take to Capitol Hill later this month for meetings with their legislators.
ALS Association Blog: Stay Informed
Connect With Us
When you sign up with our chapter, you’ll learn how you can help secure more funding for ALS research, expand care and resources for people living with this disease and their families, and advance legislative priorities that are important to the entire ALS community.