"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been
in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans."
- Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939
The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have partnered to raise awareness and funding
to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease). The 4♦ALS Awareness campaign is a unique collaboration
between MLB and four leading ALS organizations; ALS TDI, MDA, ALS Association and Project ALS.
THANK YOU MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, all of the participating MLB teams and parks, all the fans, volunteers and ALS patients and their
families that were involved in making this July 4th one of the largest days of awareness for ALS since Gehrig's speech all those
decades ago. In all, ALS TDI had representatives at most of the ballparks on the fourth, and will participate in a handful of additional
ALS days at parks this month. MLB will also auction off the signed first bases from July 4th games with proceeds being split between the
four organizations. We will announce that auction here.
THANK YOU "BBQ FOR ALS AWARENESS" PARTICIPANTS! It was with your help that more than 100 events took place across the U.S.
and Canada in support of ALS research at ALS TDI. Together you distributed information on the disease, current research and the need for
increased funding. Without your efforts another July 4th would have just come and went – but this year was different – this year the ALS
community stood together united. ALS TDI will post a slide show of pictures and recaps from all the BBQ events soon and will announce
that on our homepage.
Unite this July 4th : Host a BBQ 4♦ALS
Baseball, Independence Day and the backyard BBQ - three things which represent summertime in America.
This year, in partnership with MLB and ALS TDI, you have a unique opportunity to combine these
traditions together and make an enormous impact on the speed of ALS research.
As of 7/01/2009 - there were 100 events in 30 states!
BBQ 4♦ALS is a grassroots fundraising program
with the goal of joining together as many people as possible on this historic
day – and now you can be part of it! Make your family, neighborhood, or company
BBQ part of the 4♦ALS campaign today and receive an information kit that will allow
you to share important information about ALS with your guests, neighbors and colleagues.
Select "YES" on the form to the left to get started!
July 4th - BBQ 4♦ALS Sites!