Chris Pendergast, ALS Patient, Has Reasons to Smile as His 20th Anniversary Wheelchair ALS Ride for Life Journey Visits Johns Hopkins Research Center in Baltimore Today
The 2013 "Ice Bucket Challenge" and this year's FDA approval of Radicava™ offer hope to Chris Pendergast and others dealing with ALS
BALTIMORE, May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chris Pendergast will tell you that he has been given a gift, despite being diagnosed with ALS more than 20 years ago. Chris stated: "I was blessed with a slow progression and lived well beyond the average prognosis of a few years. I spent this gift of time working to find a cure, helping patients and educating others about ALS. But I cannot do it alone; I need everyone's help. Please make a donation or 'buy a mile' so I can get to Washington, D.C., and back home to my family!"
For the past week, Chris and a handful of faithful family, friends and volunteers have traveled from Yankee Stadium, through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, on their way to Washington, D.C. The organization's mission is also their mantra. It's all about patient services, research and awareness. Their large banner reads, "Washington or Bust!" And, along the way, they have been received and greeted by city mayors, mascots, high school bands, students and many new friends who now understand Chris' reason for hope and his request for everyone's help to complete his journey.
Chris Pendergast has definitely made the most of his gift of time, despite the unbearable and painful physical challenges he and his family face every minute. Relying completely on his wife, Christine, and their son Buddy, they go about their day sharing the same hope they have in helping others and making a positive impact.
The ALS Ride for Life organization has raised over $7 million over the years. Significant but minor compared to the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised over $100 million. However, Chris has big reasons to smile as the ALS Ride for Life team heads to Baltimore today. This afternoon, they'll meet with longtime friend and ALS medical expert and neurologist, Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein, MD, PhD, at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Research Center, to learn more about the latest advancements of ALS treatments and the vital need for research funding to help find a cure.
The 2017 Ride for Life began Friday, May 5th, from Yankee Stadium and will end this Sunday, May 14th, in Washington, D.C. This year's Ride for Life journey is being posted and updated frequently on the ALS Ride for Life Facebook page.
Cure ALS Ride for Life is an opportunity for patients and supporters in all communities along the route to accompany Chris Pendergast and make a difference by creating awareness.
For those unable to participate in the journey, they can show support by donating to the "Buy a Mile" campaign on the charity's website at www.ALSrideforlife.org, or sharing the ALS Ride for Life Facebook page.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting the ALS Ride for Life Office at: [email protected].
Additional information during the Ride for Life journey, including interviews and photos, can be obtained by contacting ALS Ride for Life Board Vice Chairman Dick Iannuzzi — cell: (631) 352-8998, email: [email protected] — from May 11-15, 2017.
About ALS Ride for Life
ALS Ride for Life was founded in 1997 and incorporated as a tax-exempt charity, according to IRS regulations in 1999. Under the articles of incorporation, our charity serves the ALS community. It is a patient-driven, volunteer organization. Its missions are to: Raise research funds to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), support patients and their families through patient services and raise public awareness, along with providing the community with the latest ALS news, information, and inspiration.
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ALS Ride for Life
SOURCE ALS Ride for Life, Inc.
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