Earlier this year we partnered with Oxford Commercial to help us move into our new Austin headquarters. As part of Oxford Commercial’s creative giving program, they donated a portion of our moving expenses to four charities of our choice. Today, we recognize one of the charities we gave to: the ALS Association. We are honored to welcome guest blogger Courtney Billingsley from the ALS Association to share a little more about this great organization:
The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement dies with them. Patients in the later stages of the disease are totally paralyzed, yet in most cases, their minds remain sharp and alert.
Every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS — more than 5,600 people per year. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis. Currently, there is no known cause or cure for the disease as ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries with the exception that military veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS for unknown reasons.
The ALS Association covers all the bases needed to defeat ALS — research, patient services, advocacy, public education & community resources. The Texas Chapter focuses on patient care, providing families and patients across the state of Texas with services free of charge, such as durable medical equipment, numerous support groups, transportation & respite grants, Certified ALS Clinics, and more.
Like many nonprofit organizations, The ALS Association relies greatly on the donations and support of the community. To ensure we can continue providing services to the ALS Community, hundreds of Walk to Defeat ALS events across the state and nationally are held. These 5k walks are the largest fundraising event for The ALS Association and include children’s entertainment, music, food and more as thousands join together to celebrate the courage of our patients and families as we walk to defeat ALS. For more information about The ALS Association Texas Chapter, Walk to Defeat ALS or to make a donation, please visit www.alsa-texas.org or call the Austin office at (512) 371-1718.
For more about how CSID gets involved with the community, take a look at our new philanthropy page on Facebook.