Caregiver Only Support Group
2023-09-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-10-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-11-18 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
The Caregivers Only group offers a time to talk about all the issues caregivers face in a non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere without their loved one, who is living with ALS, being present. Caregivers share a common experience; life has become so tumultuous that they often feel exhausted and overwhelmed, hungry for emotional comfort. Together, with the guidance and encouragement of a devoted facilitator, caregivers can find the strength to persevere. And, by feeling heard and understood, caregivers become more equipped to face another day with new coping strategies.
Time: Meets the Third Saturday of each month from 10 am to 11 am
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2023-09-09 10:30 - 12:00, 2023-10-14 10:30 - 12:00, 2023-11-11 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Meets the Second Saturday of each month from 10:30am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator(s): Karen Raley Steffens, RN, CHPN, CCM
RSVP: Please email us at supportgroup@lesturnerals.org to RSVP
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Newly Diagnosed ALS Support Series
2023-09-13 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-09-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
An ALS diagnosis is difficult to process. People often feel shocked and isolated by the news, whether the diagnosis was for themselves or a family member. It’s hard to move forward or figure out what comes next.
This summer, the Les Turner ALS Foundation is launching the ALS Newly Diagnosed Support Series. Set in a relaxed and supportive virtual environment, this support series will allow you to connect with others who have received an ALS diagnosis within the last nine months.
The series will be facilitated by members of the Foundation’s Support Services team. Each session will address a topic and provide resources and education to consider. There will also be an opportunity to connect with others and ask questions.
Click here to register.

September ALS Learning Series: Nutrition: Journey from Beginning to End
2023-09-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us for our September ALS Learning series with Dr. Edward Kasarskis where he will discuss the foundations for nutrition and hydration, constipation, and bowel management in ALS. With a Q&A to follow.
The Les Turner ALS Foundation is proud to offer this webinar at no cost to the ALS community. Thank you to the Gilbert & Jacqueline Fern Foundation and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
Register today

Chicagoland Support Group
2023-09-19 13:00 - 14:30, 2023-10-17 13:00 - 14:30 UTC
Meets the Third Tuesday of each month from 1 – 2:30pm
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please email us at supportgroup@lesturnerals.org to RSVP
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Caregivers-Only Support Group
2023-09-21 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-10-19 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-11-16 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
The Caregivers Only group offers a time to talk about all the issues caregivers face in a non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere without their loved one, who is living with ALS, being present. Caregivers share a common experience; life has become so tumultuous that they often feel exhausted and overwhelmed, hungry for emotional comfort. Together, with the guidance and encouragement of a devoted facilitator, caregivers can find the strength to persevere. And, by feeling heard and understood, caregivers become more equipped to face another day with new coping strategies.
Time: Meets the Third Thursday of each month from 3pm to 4pm
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Moving Forward After Loss – Spousal/ Partner Bereavement Group – Fall Session
2023-09-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-09-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-05 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-19 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-26 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for spouses/partners who have lost a loved one to ALS within the past year. This group will provide a place to connect with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one to ALS; stories will be told, feelings will be explored, and information will be shared about how to remain connected to the memory of a loved one.
Date: Thursday
Time: Select Thursdays Through October 26 6pm – 7:30 pm
Facilitator(s): Easton Stevenson, LCSW

RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

2023 ALS Walk For Life
2023-09-23 09:00 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Dr, Chicago , IL, 60605, United States
Join us for the largest ALS gathering in the Midwest! This event includes a two-mile stroll along the lakefront in Chicago, finishing with a trip through historic Soldier Field. Walking in small groups and big teams, thousands come together to honor loved ones who are living with ALS and remember those we have lost.
Walk for the Les Turner ALS Foundation and join a community committed to finding a world free of ALS. The funds you raise go directly to our mission to provide the most comprehensive care and support to people living with ALS and their families so that they can confidently navigate the disease, and advance scientific research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of ALS.

Living After Loss (Bereavement Group)
2023-09-25 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-23 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for anyone (family, friend, etc.) who has lost a loved one to ALS within the past year. This group will provide a place to connect with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one to ALS; stories will be told, feelings will be explored, and information will be shared about how to remain connected to the memory of a loved one.
Date: Fourth Monday
Time: 6pm – 7:30pm
Facilitator(s): Easton Stevenson, LCSW

RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

2023 Team Race for ALS Chicago Marathon
2023-10-08
2023 Chicago Marathon
Welcome to Team Race for ALS! Run for the Les Turner ALS Foundation and join a community committed to finding a world free of ALS. The funds you raise go toward our mission provide the most comprehensive care and support to people living with ALS and their families so that they can confidently navigate the disease, and advance scientific research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of ALS.

Visit https://events.lesturnerals.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=entry&fr_id=1490 to learn more.

Wheaton Support Group
2023-10-21 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Meets the Fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30am-12:00pm
Facilitator(s): Rochelle Walwer, LCSW
RSVP: Click here to register
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

ALS Learning Series: Ethical Principles & Informed Consent in ALS Research
2023-10-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Informed consent is an essential component of research, but have you ever wondered why? Join us for our October ALS Learning Series where Emma Schmidt, Clinical Research Project Manager at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine will discuss the history behind informed consent, explain the process of informed consent, your rights as a research participant and provide you with helpful tips and questions to ask if you’re interested in joining research.

Register today!

All in For ALS Casino Night
2023-11-04 19:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
Our signature casino night event features exciting games like Blackjack, Roulette and Craps all live in person at the East Bank Club. Guests can try their luck at the tables, bid on auction items, enjoy tasty appetizers, and snap pictures in the photo booth, all while joining other young professionals to show their support for the Les Turner ALS Foundation, the leader in comprehensive ALS care in Chicagoland.
Many Young Professional Group (YPG) members and event attendees have had this devastating disease touch their lives and take their loved one; and yet they still come together to help ensure that one day there is a cure for ALS. This is our chance to give back to them by helping fund vital ALS care and research.
Your generosity helps ensure that people living with ALS live their lives with both quality and dignity. 100% of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Foundation.

13th Annual Les Turner Symposium on ALS
2023-11-06 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
The 2023 Les Turner Symposium on ALS will be held virtually and in-person at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Monday, Nov. 6.
The Les Turner Symposium on ALS has featured presentations from leading ALS scientists and clinicians, as well as people living with ALS; plus research posters, a Q&A panel and more. The symposium is free and open to the public, with thanks to our generous sponsors.
Time: Registration Opens- 8:00am
Symposium – 8:45am – 5:00pm
Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be served.
It will be held in person with opportunities to stream presentations from home.
Registration and Abstract submissions will be open in July.
Keynote Presentation: Antisense based therapy for rare neurological diseases
C. Frank Bennett, Ph.D
Currently there are multiple genetic based medicines being pursued for rare neurological diseases including antisense technology, gene therapy and gene editing technologies. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs are one of the more advanced technologies. ASOs are synthetic, chemical modified nucleic acid analogs designed to bind to RNA by Watson-Crick base paring. Upon binding to the RNA, ASOs modulate the function of the targeted RNA through a variety of mechanisms. Both protein coding, as well as non-coding RNAs, can be targets of ASO based drugs, significantly broadening therapeutic targets for drug discovery compared to small molecules and protein based therapeutics. The approval of nusinersen (Spinraza™) as a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and the recent approval of tofersen (Qalsody) for familial ALS validates the utility of antisense drugs for the treatment of motor neuron diseases. The application of antisense technology as potential therapy for other rare neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders will be discussed.

Celebration of Life
2023-11-18 11:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Virtual
This year’s Celebration of Life Live Event has concluded. Thank you to everyone who submitted photos and participated.

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2023-11-20 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Meets the Third Monday of each month from 2-3:15 p.m.
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please email us at supportgroup@lesturnerals.org to RSVP
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*
