It’s Taking a Township to Fight ALS |
Apr. 5, 2006
Woodbridge schools, veterans and other civic groups unite in Township-wide fundraising effort against killer disease
New report cites vulnerability of Gulf War vets to “ALS cluster”
The annual Woodbridge Walk to D’Feet ALS set for May 7 in Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park will be a colorful outdoor event that draws several thousand participants and onlookers.
But it’s only the most publicly visible highlight of an ongoing grass-roots campaign seeking to eliminate a disease that kills nearly 6,000 Americans a year.
“ Woodbridge Township is pleased to marshal every resource we have to support this cause,” says Mayor Frank G. Pelzman. “We have the opportunity to play an important role in conquering a dreaded disease during our lifetime.”
The Woodbridge Walk to D’Feet ALS is the leadoff event in the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter’s annual campaign to combat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a presently incurable neuro-muscular disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
TheWoodbridge Walk to D’Feet ALS takes place May 7 at 11 a.m. in Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park at Sewaren Peninsula with a 10 a.m. registration. Call (732) 602-6015 for information.
To participate as Team Captain or Walker, email Abby Anderson at walkersofhope@aol.com or call Donna Jago at the Mayor’s Office, (732) 602-6015.
The Walk is currently seeking Team Captains to organize teams of Walkers, collect donations and spread posters and other publicity materials in their community and workplace. Organizers hope to draw participants from across Central New Jersey.
Woodbridge Walk organizer and ALS funding lobbyist Abby Anderson says the renewed funding and research initiatives are already paying dividends.
“These walks are so important,” says Ms. Anderson, whose father, Ira, succumbed to ALS in 2004 at age 56. “People must know that every dollar raised goes to research that will hasten the day when ALS no longer exists on this planet.”
A recent report from the national ALS Association echoes her optimism. Over the last decade exciting new discoveries have taken place in genetic markers, early diagnosis, drug therapy and the realization that ALS is linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, about which much is known.
ALS experts express cautious hope that in another ten years, new treatments will be available that can significantly alter the course of the disease.
There is renewed urgency on another front with the recent release of a Harvard University School of Public Health study showing that military personnel on active duty during the first Gulf War were nearly twice as likely to develop ALS as those not serving in the Gulf.
Previously, the most well established “ALS cluster” was among the Chamorro people of Guam, where a high percentage of the population developed a disease termed “ALSPDC” (ALS-Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex) in which patients developed symptoms of all three of these diseases.
The disturbing possibility of an environmental cause for ALS, especially as it might affect American military men and women currently serving in the Middle East, has galvanized the Woodbridge Walk organizers to extend their educational efforts to include veterans organizations, scout groups, schools and social clubs throughout the area.
Close to 300 high school students have already signed up for the Walk and more than 600 students from John F. Kennedy High School have committed to raise money. Woodbridge Township television channel WTT-35 has produced an ALS education video to be shown in Township schools.
In addition, Mayor Pelzman announced that the Township will declare the third Wednesday of every May as “ALS Awareness Day”. The day will also be recognized statewide as “ALS Awareness Day in New Jersey” by means of a resolution sponsored by Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex).
“It is very inspiring that the entire Township is coming together to rally around this cause,” says Ms. Anderson. “Every step we take brings us closer to finding a cure for ALS. The more people we have walking, the more steps that makes.”
*** A.L.S. F.A.Q. ***
▪ Every 90 minutes, an American dies of ALS.
▪ There are an average of 15 new ALS cases each day in the U.S.
▪ ALS knows no racial, ethnic or socio-economic boundaries; it can strike anyone at any time.
▪ The average life expectancy for a person with ALS is 2-5 years from the time of diagnosis.
▪ It costs an estimated $642,000 per year to serve an ALS patient and their family.
▪ The ALS Association has awarded nearly $30 million since 1991 for scientific and clinical management research.