ALS Association South Carolina Chapter Will Walk to Defeat ALS® on October 31st

Press Release

On Saturday, October 31st, people with ALS, family members, friends, caregivers, and others affected by ALS will walk in their neighborhoods, on trails or at the beach in order to come together, in a socially distant way, to fight to find a cure at the South Carolina Walk to Defeat ALS®.

ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease, which gradually robs people of their ability to walk, move, talk, swallow and eventually breathe. ALS has no known cause or cure, but the South Carolina community is rallying together to change that.

People with ALS along with their families and friends will make a 1 or 3-mile trek for The Walk to Defeat ALS®, hoping their steps will make a difference for people with ALS living in our state. Many who walk have a loved one who is still fighting the deadly disease. Others walk in memory of a loved one who has lost the battle. Some, without any personal connection, still walk out of a simple concern for those who are living with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

With only two to five years to live, individuals with ALS have an urgent need, and the community is stepping in to fill it by walking for those who can’t. The Walk to Defeat ALS® is The ALS Association’s signature event in which all funds directly support cutting-edge research, programs and patient care. Last year South Carolina raised more than $320,000 for the fight and hoping to top that figure this year.

South Carolina Walk to Defeat ALS Participants can register in their local area at www.walktodefeatALS.org. All registered Walkers who raise $90 or more receive a commemorative t-shirt. Supporters who register or make donations online are not required to attend the Walk.

About ALS and The ALS Association South Carolina Chapter

Every 90 minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 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 twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population. There is currently no known cause or cure.

The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization fighting ALS on every front. By integrating local care services, cutting-edge global research, and nationwide advocacy on behalf of those living with ALS, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.

The ALS Association South Carolina Chapter provides patients and caregivers — at no cost — with respite care, equipment loan, augmentative communication and assistive technology programs, as well as nutritional supplements, transportation and emergency assistance.

To learn more about the Chapter’s care services programs, contact the Chapter at: 803-851-3233

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