The lead up to the White Coat Affair gala is an exciting and busy time. Committee members and staff at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) are busy sending out last minute invites, securing sponsorships and ensuring everything is in place for a successful event. However, this year, just one day before the gala, we learned that our friend Angelina Fanous, had suffered a fall and could no longer travel to be one of our speakers. Our team was devastated, as she has been close to many of us since we met her three years ago, and it was a poignant reminder of the brutality and uncertainty that comes with ALS.

While this certainly put a damper on the lead up to the gala, we were extremely lucky to have two incredible speakers on the night. First up was Beth Hebron of “The Styled Mannequin”. She spoke to the crowd of over 400 people of the challenges that go alongside living with ALS and how she overcame the initial hurdle of anger and sadness that comes with an ALS diagnosis and how she is now finding her outlet in her fabulous fashion blog. We are so thankful to Osiel Mendoza who stepped in at the last minute to deliver his story to the crowd. Osiel is a young man who was diagnosed with ALS one year ago at the age of 21. He recently led a campaign, #YolkUp4ALS, which raised huge awareness and funds for ALS TDI. He spoke eloquently about his ALS journey so far his determination to end ALS. You can see their speeches here and here.

After dinner and the speaking program, the crowd mingled and danced to live music from the Beantown Swing Orchestra followed by the Good Vibes After Party where the dance floor stayed packed throughout the night. Along with Beth and Osiel, 16 other people living with ALS and hundreds of others who are committed to ending this disease, joined together with tears, laughter and hope. The White Coat Affair gala is a key event each year at ALS TDI having raised over $2,500,000 for research over the past 7 years. It’s an evening which brings together and honors those living with ALS and remembers those of whom we’ve lost. We’re so grateful to all attendees, donors and, of course, sponsors of the White Coat Affair who are all vital in keeping the pace of research moving forward and helping lead to a world without ALS.

To view all photos from the night, please visit here! If you would like to know more about the White Coat Affair, please email us at letstalk@als.net