Since 1977, the Les Turner ALS Foundation has been Chicagoland's leader in patient services, research, and education for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and other motor neuron diseases (MND).
Please visit our ALS Awareness page for more info, or bookmark and share it at LesTurnerALS.org/ALSawareness. We'll be posting every day throughout the month of May, and asking for your input as well. Join us!
When the Mammoth Music Mart began in 1978, a ‘cold’ letter sent to Dick Clark to act as the Honorary Chairman was surprisingly met with great enthusiasm and interest. While Dick had no connection to ALS, he loved the idea of turning used records into money for a good cause. Dick and his wife Kari attended the kickoff in 1978, and, acting as Honorary Chairman until the Mart closed in 2002, attended many more events throughout the years.
Always the advocate and supporter, Dick promoted the Mart through local radio appearances and PSA’s and even helped produce Clark on Clark, a 50’s Sox Hop with WGN Radio to benefit the Foundation. Throughout his long friendship with the Les Turner ALS Foundation, Dick helped raise millions of dollars and brought awareness of the disease and Foundation to countless numbers of people.
Just this fall, when the discovery of a faulty protein pathway in ALS was discovered, Dick and Kari responded, as they did every year, with a very generous personal donation to the Foundation. Our memories are boundless and his generosity and friendship will forever be a part of our history. We will miss our dear friend, Dick Clark.
Please click on the links below to view local coverage of the passing of Dick Clark and his support of the Les Turner ALS Foundation:
ABC 7 Chicago
Fox News at Nine
The latest print newsletter is now available to read online. This issue honors ALS Awareness Month. Read to be inspired and to find out how you can get involved. Click here to read or visit our newsletter page to read this or past issues.
Our 2011 Annual Report is now available to read online. Click here to read or visit our financial statements page to read our 2011 audited statement, or annual reports and audited statements from the past three years.
In early December 2012, the international ALS/MND community will gather in Chicago for three distinct yet related events. The Les Turner ALS Foundation is proud to host the Annual Meeting of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, the Allied Professionals Forum, and the International Symposium on ALS/MND.
Of particular interest is the "Ask The Experts" session for patients and families, held on December 3. There will be a few ways for patients and families to get involved in this session. Please check back often as more details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please visit our International Symposium page for more information.
A new study from Foundation researcher Dr. Teepu Siddique and his team has identified a faulty protein pathway as a common cause of all forms of ALS, the first time a common cause has been identified. In addition, Dr. Siddique and team have published a second paper identifying another contributor to this faulty pathway. Please click to read full coverage of this important discovery. Many thanks to our wonderful donors and friends who share in the progress we've made thus far. Your generosity has made this possible!
Tickets are now on sale for our 2012 Lou Gehrig Day at Wrigley Field! Join us on Saturday, July 14. The pre-party will be held at The Vic Theatre (3145 N. Sheffield Ave) from 12:30pm to 2:30pm. As always, the party will include unlimited food and drink, an exciting live auction emceed by WXRT's Lin Brehmer, and a few other surprises. And just announced: the pre-party will also feature a live acoustic performance by Dan Navarro of Lowen and Navarro! The event then moves to Wrigley Field for a 3:05pm game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Visit our Lou Gehrig Day page for ticket prices and more information.
Announcing the 3rd Annual Strike Out ALS 5K, July 10 at U.S. Cellular Field! Join Chicago's fastest-growing 5K: the only 5K with a finish on U.S. Cellular Field and the only 5K with a post-race All-Star party. Visit StrikeOutALS5K.org to find out more.
Our 2012 Tag Days drives are winding down. A huge thank you to all our captains and volunteers! We could not do it without each of you! In early June, we'll be posting a final total from all our drives, plus a few pictures and highlights. Please visit our Tag Days page for more information.
Thanks to our thousands of dedicated walkers, the ALS Walk4Life has grown far beyond what we could have imagined. We are thrilled to announce a new date and new location that will keep the ALS Walk4Life growing and thriving. NEW DATE! Saturday, September 22. NEW LOCATION! Soldier Field in Chicago. Please visit our Walk4Life page to learn more about the changes and about our upcoming kick-off events.
The Foundation is now offering ALS awareness beads that can be attached to a Pandora bracelet or worn as a charm on other bracelets or necklaces. They are just $35 and all proceeds benefit the Foundation. Consider giving one as a gift for Mothers' Day! Visit our awareness merchandise page to find out how to order.
Chris Benyo and Denise DiMarzo successfully completed the New Jersey Marathon in just under five hours. Chris used a special chair to push Denise, an avid runner before being diagnosed with ALS in 2010, through the entire 26.2 mile course. Visit our New Jersey Marathon page for more info. Chris and Denise have also surpassed their goal of raising $26,200--$1,000 for each mile of the marathon. The Foundation is continuing to accept donations in honor of Chris and Denise's incredible feat.
Congrats also to the other members of the Run4ALS team who competed in New Jersey. Your dedication is inspiring!
The Les Turner ALS Foundation will be the charitable partner of the Chicago Bandits, a women's professional softball team, for the 2012 season. The Bandits will be donating all the proceeds from this year’s “Pass the Hat” promotion to the Foundation. In addition, the Thursday, August 16 game against the Carolina Diamonds will be ALS Awareness Night at the park. The night will also feature a jersey raffle. The Bandits and the Foundation will also host one family per home game, offering each four free tickets to come out to The Ballpark at Rosemont to watch the 2011 NPF Champions in action.
For more information, or to find out how you can attend a Bandits game, please contact Kim McIver at kmciver@lesturnerals.org.
Questions on these or our other latest happenings? Please contact us and we'll be happy to help! You can also join our email list to receive our monthly e-newsletter. We'll bring all this info--and more--right to your inbox.