CALABASAS HILLS, Calif., April 29, 2003 -- MEDIA ADVISORY --
WHAT: The ALS Association (ALSA) presents its annual ALSA All-Star Award to former ESPN Sports Personality Dick Schaap, who died in 2002. The award is given each year to an athlete or prominent professional or business executive in the sports community whose personal initiative and extraordinary contributions, on behalf of ALSA, have expanded the advocacy and awareness efforts to help increase public awareness of the disease. The award ceremony is part of activities surrounding the 2003 National ALS Advocacy Day/Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., where people with ALS, families and advocates in the ALS Community urge Congressional representatives to increase research and enact legislation to help fight the disease and assist people living with ALS.
WHO:
-- Jeremy Schaap, son of Dick Schaap and host of ESPN Radio's "The
Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap," will accept the award on
behalf of his father.
-- Michael W. Havlicek, president and chief executive officer of The
ALS Association
WHEN: Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: National Geographic Society
1145 17th St. NW
Washington, DC
BACKGROUND
Known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. With all voluntary muscle action affected in this progressive disease, patients in later stages are totally paralyzed. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at given time. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against this devastating disease.
The A.L.S. Association logo is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=525