ALS Association
Cause Area
- Community
- Education & Literacy
- Health & Medicine
Location
1275 K ST NW STE 250WASHINGTON, DC 20005 United StatesOrganization Information
Mission Statement
The ALS Association: What We Do
Established in 1985, The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.
As the preeminent ALS organization, The Association leads the way in research, care services, public education, and public policy -- giving help and hope to those facing the disease. The Association’s nationwide network of chapters provides comprehensive patient services and support to the ALS community. The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy, while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.
Description
Ice Bucket Donations Surpass $10 Million to The ALS Association
Washington, D.C. (August 16, 2014) --Today, The ALS Association announced it has surpassed $10 million in "Ice Bucket" donations. Specifically, as of Saturday, August 16, 2014, The ALS Association has received $11.4 million in donations compared to $1.7 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to August 16). These donations have come from existing donors and 220,255 new donors to The Association.
In a message posted today to The ALS Association’s website, which discusses how The ALS Association will use this incredible outpouring of support to fight ALS, Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of The ALS Association said:
"Never before have we been in a better position to fuel our fight against this disease. Increased awareness and unprecedented financial support will enable us to think outside the box. We will be able to strategize about efforts in ways that previously would not have been possible, all while we work to fulfill and enhance our existing mission priorities nationwide."
The full text of the letter is available here.
ALS, also 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. There is no cure and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that modestly extends survival. Veterans are approximately twice as likely be diagnosed with the disease.
"Words cannot express how incredibly grateful we are to the tens of thousands of people who have donated to support the fight against ALS," said Newhouse. "The money and the awareness generated through this effort are truly game-changers in the fight against this disease."
The ALS Association’s mission includes providing care services to assist people with ALS and their families through a network of chapters working in communities across the nation and a global research program focused on the discovery of treatments and eventually a cure for the disease. In addition, The Association’s public policy efforts empower people to advance public policies in our nation’s Capital that respond to the needs of people with ALS.
For more information, please contact Carrie Munk at cmunk@alsa-national.org.