JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ)- The ALS Association will be holding a walk to defeat ALS at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on July 22.
Presented by Stoystown Auto Wreckers, the community in Johnstown is invited to walk to support the local ALS community in the fight against the disease. All proceeds from this event will directly support research, treatment programs and local care services.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association will be lighting up the historic Johnstown Stone Bridge in red July 16-18 to “shine a light” on ALS and to help support the Johnstown Walk to Defeat ALS.
“It’s a very family-oriented day of games, food, and fun, almost like a huge neighborhood block
party,” Territory Executive for The ALS Association, Merritt Spier said. “Johnstown is an amazing
community of close friends and loved ones. The Johnstown Walk is like no other walk in the country because it is planned and executed by a large group of dedicated volunteers who come back year after year without fail.”
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease that gradually deteriorates the ability to walk, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe.
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Approximately 5,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States and most patients typically only have two to five years to live after the diagnosis. There is currently no known cure for ALS.
Registration for the walk can be found on the ALS Association website. More information on the ALS community of Western Pa. can also be found there as well.
