Letter from the President

March is National Nutrition Month and for people with ALS, maintaining proper nutrition is essential for feeling better and living longer. In fact, better nourished people with the disease live up to three times longer than those who are malnourished. This month, The ALS Association is featuring important information and resources related to nutrition, meal enjoyment, caloric intake and more, including a webinar on maintaining proper nutrition.

Also this month, The ALS Association's 2013 Walk to Defeat ALS® season begins and runs through November with 170 local events in communities across the nation. These events provide a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about Lou Gehrig’s Disease and to support the mission of The Association. To participate in our next Walk to Defeat ALS event, please visit walktodefeatals.org.

The Walk to Defeat ALS brings hope and empowerment to those living with ALS and an opportunity for families and friends to spend an uplifting day with others in the ALS community. In 2012, approximately 121,000 people nationwide participated in Walks to support The ALS Association—raising $21.7 million in support of care services, ALS research and public policy efforts at the federal, state and local levels.

Thank for all you do in the fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease. We look forward to another successful Walk to Defeat ALS season with you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Jane H. Gilbert
President & CEO

Advocacy and Public PolicY

Leaders from The ALS Association, in addition to patients, caregivers, physicians, scientists and other concerned individuals, recently had the opportunity to address a panel of representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the agency conducted its first-ever public hearing specific to ALS. The Association urged the FDA to partner with the ALS community to help expedite the drug development and approval process and bring new treatments to patients as soon as possible. Visit our website to learn more and view a webcast of the hearing.

Join us in Washington, D.C. on May 8 – 11, 2013 for the National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference. The conference will empower you with the tools you need to advocate for policies that are specifically designed to accelerate the development of treatments for ALS.

Learn more and register for ALS Advocacy Day.

Research Update

As published in the scientific journal Nature, researchers funded by The ALS Association have discovered how mutations in new genes for ALS cause not only that disease but also other diseases of the brain, muscle and bone. These results also reveal the disease pathways involved in ALS due to other genes and may prepare for the development of new treatments to interrupt these processes.  Read more.

How You Can Help

We have so much gratitude for all of our supporters who take a stand against ALS. Your commitment to The ALS Association has made it possible for us to provide compassionate care to the people and families living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in addition to funding global research to guide us to a treatment and cure for ALS. We are able to lead the fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease because of YOU!

We hope that you will consider sharing your ALS story and increase awareness by creating an online fund in our Community of Hope. Whether a fund is created in tribute to someone dear or simply for a special occasion, the money raised will go directly toward the services provided by The ALS Association!

Upon becoming a Community of Hope Champion, you will be empowered with online tools to help spread the word about your fund and invite others to give support on your personal fund web page. Registering a Community of Hope fund will only take a few minutes and is sure to have a lasting impact on our mission. Together, we will put a stop to this terrible disease!