Join ALS Advocates on Beacon Hill for the 2010 Massachusetts ALS Awareness Day.  The event begins at 10:30AM in the Grand Staircase at the State House in Boston.  This year is incredibly important as funding for the state ALS Registry has been decreased to an insufficient level.  We must fight for the ALS Registry!  Click here to register.

The Massachusetts ALS Registry is a state-wide surveillance mechanism of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better know as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  The Registry was first authorized by Section 26 of Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2003 which included language relative to the establishment of a surveillance system or registry for ALS. The ALS Registry allows for the identification of all cases of ALS in Massachusetts by the Department of Public Health. It will help researchers study both the incidence and prevalence of the disease, identify trends, and develop additional research studies related to better understanding the disease. In short, the ALS Registry in Massachusetts brings us one step closer to a cure.

$150,000 of state funding for the ALS Registry has been included in previous budgets, however, this year the ALS Registry budget has been cut down to less than half of   that.  As it was, $150,000 was the bare minimum for the project to be done effectively and if funding continues to decrease, the project is at risk of suspension and we simply cannot let that happen.

Meet with Senators and Representatives about key local public policy issues facing the ALS population.  Come share your story and help speak out for all of those that have lost their voice.  Click here to register.  For more information, contact Rich Lombardo at 781-255-8884 x223, or Rich.Lombardo@als-ma.org.