FT. MYERS, Fla., Oct. 20, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Ft. Myers/Naples Walk to D'Feet ALS(r) will take place on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003 at Lee County Sports Complex, spring training home of the Minnesota Twins. Walk to D'Feet ALS(r) is a concerted effort to raise funds benefiting research and patient care services for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The Walk to D'Feet ALS(r) is open to the public and there is no registration fee. Participants are encouraged to form teams (or walk as individuals) and collect donations to benefit the Florida Chapter of the ALS Association. Register online at www.als-florida.org or call the Florida Chapter office toll-free at 1-888-257-1717.
Lee County Sports Complex is located at 14100 Ben Pratt 6-Mile Parkway in Ft. Myers. Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome. Registration begins at 4:00 pm, and the Walk ceremonies commence at 5:00 pm. In 2002, more than 100 Ft. Myers and Naples Walkers raised more than $15,000 to augment care for Florida patients and fund vital research.
Walkers also enjoy free admission to the Roy Hobbs World Series Baseball opening game at 7:00 p.m. between the Cincinnati Suds and Naples Baseball. 180 teams from around the world are competing in this 3-week event (Nov. 1 - Nov. 22). Roy Hobbs Baseball is an amateur baseball organization dedicated to the idea that anyone, any age can play the greatest of America's team sports.
Shells Seafood Restaurants is the presenting sponsor for the Florida Walks to D'Feet ALS(r). "We are proud to join in the fight against this terrible disease," said Leslie Christon, President and CEO of Shells. "This cause hits close to home for us because Tina Rodriguez, one of our team members, was recently diagnosed with the disease."
"It takes a community of people to care for a person with ALS, and we are pleased to see the community respond by giving hope to the many patients and families living with ALS in Florida. The Walk to D'Feet ALS(r) is the primary source of funding for the many programs and services available free of charge to patients," said Dara Alexander, President of The ALS Association Florida Chapter.
Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS and the Florida Chapter of the ALS Association currently serves more than 170 patients and patient family members in the greater Ft. Myers/Naples area. Commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, 5,600 new cases of ALS are diagnosed annually. With no known cause, prevention or cure, the disease affects the function of nerves and muscles, and people with ALS have an average life expectancy of two to five years from the time of diagnosis.
Now in its 3rd year, the Florida Walks to D'Feet ALS(r) have raised over $375,000 for the nation's largest ALS research effort and local patient services programs provided by the ALS Association Florida Chapter. In 2002, ALS families and friends in 84 cities across the nation participated in Walks to D'Feet ALS(r) raising more than $6 million.
The ALS Association Florida Chapter is one of 38 chapters of The ALS Association, the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization devoted solely to the fight against ALS. For more information, contact the Florida Chapter at 813-637-9000 or www.als-florida.org.
The ALS Association Florida Chapter logo is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=700