Thanks for support of ALS foundation

Approximately 1,000 people in Illinois have ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and about 250 more are diagnosed each year.

The disease may seem relatively rare, but when people share their own stories about a friend or relative affected by ALS, they find others often know someone affected by the disease, too.

At the Les Turner ALS Foundation, we strive to reach a day when "ALS survivor" is used as part of our vernacular.

We continue to raise funds, increase awareness and advocate for this cause. Throughout May, (National ALS Awareness Month), volunteers participated in Tag Days drives, collecting donations and raising ALS awareness.

Volunteers such as Karen and Harry Snodgrass organized a Tag Days drive in Glen Ellyn to benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation.

The local donation drive was held on May 17, 2008 and raised nearly $3,600.

We thank not only Karen and Harry for their effort, but also the people in Glen Ellyn and surrounding communities who generously supported the cause.

Tag Days drives were held in 49 communities and volunteers collected at total of $111,000.

ALS is a terminal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs patients of their mobility and the ability to communicate, ultimately leading to total paralysis and death. ALS typically strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70.

Currently, there is no known cause, prevention or cure. The Les Turner ALS Foundation is the only independent, publicly supported nonprofit organization in the Chicago area dedicated solely to the treatment and elimination of ALS.

To those who donated through Tag Days, and to those who served as the manpower behind this effort, thank you for helping keep hope alive.

Wendy Abrams

Executive Director

Les Turner ALS Foundation

Skokie