ALS Network

If you are a supporter of the Napa Valley Ride, Walk & Roll to Cure #ALS, it's Team Week! Now through Sunday, August 11, you will have the chance to win some amazing prizes! You will have THREE opportunities to win by recruiting your friends, family, and colleagues to join you, fundraising to support #ourALScommunity, and more! Be sure to follow us at @alsenduretocure on Facebook and Instagram to learn about the challenges and prizes you can win! If you haven’t already, now is a great time to join us and register as we celebrate 20 years of impact on Saturday, September 14! For more information, visit alsridenapavalley.org.

Award-winning actor and singer, Aaron Lazar, has announced his debut album, Impossible Dream, is available now for presale and will launch to the public on Friday, 8/23! The ALS Network is proud to be the charity partner for this important project. Through his many friendships in the Broadway community, Aaron assembled a group of friends to raise awareness and support for #ourALScommunity through a star-studded new project. The album features eight duets with Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kate Baldwin, Rebecca Luker, Loren Allred, Kelli O'hara, and Norm Lewis. The finale is a spectacular group performance of "The Impossible Dream" from The Man of La Mancha, featuring Sting, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kristin Chenoweth, Liz Callaway, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Shoshana Bean, Joanna Gleason, Brian D'arcy James, Adrienne Warren, and many more! You can pre-order your copy today of this extraordinary album, whose namesake was inspired by the beloved song from the Tony Award-winning musical, Man of La Mancha, which has long been an anthem for Lazar as he navigates ALS. A portion of the album’s proceeds will benefit the ALS Network to fund care, research, and advocacy to help us #cureALStogether. Pre-order your album today: https://lnkd.in/gt-ZMesE.

Join us for Adaptive Yoga/Assisted Movement and Guided Meditation on Wednesday, August 7 at 11:30 AM PDT/8:30 AM HST. Adaptive Yoga for ALS is a fully seated or reclining practice, using a loved one or partner, to enjoy guided meditation, assisted movement and body work. This class is taught by Laura Nash with Uprising Arts Studio in Marin County. Laura is a certified yoga therapist and an adaptive yoga specialist. This class is designed for students with limitation of movement due to ALS. It will include all aspects of yoga, including centering, meditation, visualization, yoga poses, breath work and relaxation. To register and for more information, please contact Care Manager, Sara Holiday at sholiday@alsnetwork.org.

The ALS Network is proud to be a member of #ALSUnited. This group of 15 nonprofit organizations from across the United States are all at the forefront of the fight against #ALS. From funding ALS research to providing specialized ALS care to fueling important ALS advocacy, ALS United’s members are committed to supporting the ALS community. You can learn about ALS United’s collective impact on the new website. (https://lnkd.in/gyuxfiWr) Together we end ALS!

Please join us for Connect, Support, Chat: Living with ALS Under 50 on Tuesday, August 20 at 4:00 PM PDT/1:00 PM HST. Please contact Care Managers Emma Karavardanyan, M.A. at ekaravardanyan@alsnetwork.org or Shannan Sonnicksen, LCSW, MPH, at ssonnicksen@alsnetwork.org for more information about how to participate.

Our 12th annual Hawaii Walk & Roll to Cure ALS is just four months away on Saturday, November 9! Proceeds from the family-friendly Hawaii Walk & Roll to Cure ALS will provide critical funding for the ALS Network's urgent mission priorities related to ALS care services, public policy initiatives, and cutting-edge research. Funds raised in Hawaii are used to support our Hawaii programs and services. Sign up and/or make a gift today at alswalkhawaii.org.

July is #DisabilityPrideMonth. Recently, the National Institutes of Health Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, Dr. Marie Bernard, discussed the importance of disability inclusion with Dr. Alison Cernich, Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). As a part of that dialogue about unlocking greater possibilities within the scientific workforce to include people with disabilities, one of Dr. Cernich’s mentors had ALS. “Just because she used a mobility device and had difficulty speaking, didn't mean that she couldn't write articles and do amazing things scientifically. Her cognition was perfect. She gave me lots of great insights.” The ALS Network thanks Drs. Bernard and Cernich for this important conversation and for their efforts. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g5KiQT7X.

July may be ending, but it’s not too late to start FUNdraising! Get active, celebrate, and get creative to help raise awareness and funds for #ourALScommunity throughout the year. Join the fight to #cureALStogether and tag us in your events. Support ALS Network’s mission this summer and make a gift TODAY at diy.alsnetwork.org.

We invite you to join us for one or more of our August Connect, Support, Chat Groups (ALS Network's version of support groups designed for YOU!). These meetings provide opportunities for individuals to share their personal experiences and to learn more about strategies for preserving the independence and quality of life of ALS patients and their loved ones. Please visit our online calendar for monthly updates on guest speakers, new topic specific meetings, and date/time changes at calendar.alsnetwork.org.

Please join us for Connect, Support, Chat: Trach and Vent on Thursday, August 8 at 1:00 PM PDT/10:00 AM HST. Contact Care Manager Robin Eller, RCP at reller@alsnetwork.org or Care Manager Kathleen Kelsey, RCP at kkelsey@alsnetwork.org for more information on how to participate.