Honoring Excellence: ALS Leaders and Legends Shine at the Hope Through Caring Gala
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 36th annual Hope Through Caring Gala. We are immensely grateful for your support and enthusiasm, which made the evening both memorable and successful. To date, we’ve raised nearly $700,000 for research, care, and advocacy for those facing the disease of ALS.
Relive the magic of the Gala by checking out photos from the evening and watching the highlights on our YouTube page. As ever, it was a vibrant celebration of community, resilience, and progress in our mission.
We’re thrilled to share the special moments from the night, featuring honorees like Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, whose leadership in ALS research continues to inspire, and Dr. Anne Lidsky, whose compassionate support has made an immeasurable impact on families within the ALS community.
We also paid tribute to Steve McMichael for his extraordinary achievements and recent induction into the NFL Hall of Fame and featured two families in our community with a moving video, highlighting the strength and resilience found in those battling this disease.
Check out these inspiring snapshots and videos to experience the powerful emotions, milestones, and fun at the Gala.
Many people living with ALS find that their sleep is disrupted. But that disruption of their body’s 24-hour circadian rhythms might not just be a symptom of the disease. Researchers have found that this disrupted sleep actually contributes to the severity of neurodegenerative disorders.
“Often times this disruption happens early in the disease, so if you could intervene, perhaps you could stave off the devastating consequences of ALS,” said Ravi Allada, a former Northwestern University professor in the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine who is now the executive director of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute at the University of Michigan.
With a grant from the Les Turner ALS Foundation, Allada discovered that Ataxin-2, a protein known to be involved in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, also helped keep the body’s internal clock that is responsible for sleeping and waking on a 24-hour rhythm. He and his collaborators found that when they eliminated the protein in fruit flies, their sleep-wake cycle was disturbed.
“Grants from the Les Turner ALS Foundation really play an important role in exploratory work like this,” he said. “It gives us the power to discover new clues, a new needle in the haystack that might lead to new treatments.” Read the full article.
End The Legacy ALS + FTD Community Summit
Join us for the inaugural End the Legacy Community Summit, a pivotal event for those impacted by genetic ALS & FTD. Hosted in Chicago by the Les Turner ALS Foundation from June 7th to 9th, this community summit will foster vital connections among participants and enhance understanding through the NEALS Clinical Research Learning Institute and various skill-building panels.
Lauren Webb, our Chief Advocacy and Outreach Officer, expresses her enthusiasm: “This is a unique opportunity to build connections and enhance family communication skills. We’re thrilled to partner with End the Legacy and the ALS Hope Foundation to participate in this historical gathering of community members impacted by inherited ALS and FTD.”
Whether you’re an avid runner, casual walker, or somewhere in between, our events the third weekend of May have you covered.
Lew Blond Memorial 5K Run/Walk: Lace up for a cause at the Lew Blond Memorial 5K on May 18 in Northbrook, IL. Celebrate the memory of Lew Blond by running or walking; your participation directly benefits ALS research and care when you select our foundation during registration.
Life Time Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K: Experience the scenic Lake Michigan shoreline on May 19 at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago. Enjoy post-race festivities while helping us fight ALS. Secure your spot now and start your fundraising journey with our team!
Developing Tools to Help People with ALS make Difficult Decisions
Join us for an enlightening ALS Learning Series webinar on Thursday, May 30 at 6:00 PM CST, featuring Dr. Anne Hogden from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Dive deep into the world of informed decision-making as Dr. Hogden showcases the collaborative process of developing decision-support tools. Learn how researchers collaborate with the ALS community—including patients, their families, and health professionals—to create tools that empower individuals with ALS and MND to make informed choices about their care and quality of life.
