The ALS Association

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Progress

Major League Baseball Joins Fight Against ALS

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Not the words you would expect to hear from a man in his prime after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Yet those were the exact words spoken in Lou Gehrig's famous farewell to baseball “speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939.

The touching moment got the attention of the world, and still holds it to this day. This past Fourth of July marked the 75th Anniversary of Gehrig’s history making speech. Baseball teams across the country came together to honor Gehrig’s legacy and draw attention to those whose lives have also been impacted by this cruel disease.

Major League Celebrations

In addition to donating $300,000 to four ALS charities for research, with $75,000 of that going to The ALS Association, Major League Baseball and every club across the country recognized the anniversary both on and off the field on July 4.

MLB created a video featuring the first basemen of all 30 present-day teams (as well as Yankee's Captain Derek Jeter) reciting Lou Gehrig's original speech and then played it at every game on July 4.

Most teams invited people with ALS and their family members to participate in on-field ceremonies to raise awareness about the disease, and all MLB players wore special commemorative arm patches with Lou Gehrig’s image. 

Volunteer Advocate Catches National Headlines

Volunteer advocate and veteran living with ALS, Christine Wickmark was even featured in the July 4th edition of USA Today along with our Chief Science Officer, Lucie Bruijn, Ph.D. You can find their story here.

Going to Bat with The History Channel

In honor of this historic anniversary, The ALS Association kicked off a fundraising initiative back in April to continue the effort to raise money for scientific research. The Association is grateful to the History Channel for supporting this campaign with a public service announcement, produced pro bono, which was aired at Major and Minor League Baseball games in July.

Still Hoping for a Homerun

After leaving baseball, Gehrig wrote: "I intend to hold on as long as possible and then if the inevitable comes, I will accept it philosophically and hope for the best. That's all we can do.”

While the search for an effective new treatment continues, there is indeed much hope on the horizon. Scientists continue to uncover genes that may play a role in slowing the progression of ALS. Researchers are also exploring promising leads involving stem cells and antisense therapy. It’s our hope that someday we’ll be able to name a cure after Lou Gehrig instead of a disease.

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