Television Host Debbie Matenopoulos Will Appear on "The View" to Co-Host and Raise Awareness for Lou Gehrig's Disease and The ALS Association

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Television host and actress Debbie Matenopoulos is scheduled to appear on the ABC morning show "The View" on Wednesday, July 10, to co-host and will raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the disease that took the life of her father Niko Matenopoulos in 2012.

ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The disease robs people of the ability to walk, to talk and even blink an eye. It traps them inside a body they no longer can control and ultimately prevents them from breathing as it takes their life.  There is no known cause of the disease, although military veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population.

"The ALS Association is excited that Debbie Matenopoulos will appear on 'The View' to discuss her support of The ALS Association," said Jane H. Gilbert, President and CEO of The ALS Association. "We hope the show's viewers will gain an understanding of how this devastating disease impacts the 30,000 families living with ALS in our country."

Following the broadcast, Matenopoulos is slated to tour the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City with Gilbert and Dorine Gordon, President & CEO for The Association's Greater New York Chapter, and Dale Lange, M.D., the Chairman of Neurology and Medical Director of The ALS Association Program at the Hospital for Special Surgery. They will visit with people with ALS and their families during the tour. The OWN Network will tape this visit and broadcast it at a later date.

Matenopoulos will also host a fundraiser on July 10 at STIX Mediterranean Grill and Cafe on 112 East 23rd Street in New York City, where 100 percent of the event's proceeds will go to the Greater New York Chapter. STIX will donate all food, while Sidney Frank Importing Co. hosts the bar with summer punches crafted by their mixologist Todd Richman, featuring newly introduced and award-winning American Harvest Organic Spirit as well as Barenjager Honey Liqueur and Barenjager Honey and Bourbon Liqueur.  The OWN and NGTV Network (Greek TV network) will be covering this event.

Broadcast time for "The View" segment varies according to national affiliates' markets. Viewers will have the opportunity to donate through a text to give option.

About STIX Mediterranean Grill and Cafe
Combining Manhattan sophistication, extraordinary flavors from the culinary region and affordability, STIX Mediterranean Grill and Cafe is the first New York City restaurant to offer a main menu of luscious and authentic food served on a stick. The regional diet that inspired STIX is known for its emphasis on balanced, flavorful meals that incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and the process of grilling or broiling a variety of meats and seafood. The tapas-like menu includes skewers, starters, salads and sides and uses only fresh and sustainable ingredients, sourced as often as possible from local farmers. The award-winning team designed STIX to bring New Yorkers the complete, authentic Mediterranean experience and includes internationally acclaimed architect and designer David Mexico, who has developed restaurants for chefs Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, and six-time champion barista Stefanos Domatiotis. STIX is also a showcase and tasting room for specialty coffee, a phenomenon still in the early stages of growth in the United States, and offers an extensive European coffee menu that includes drinks like Freddo Cappuccino (a blend of cold foam skim organic milk and espresso) and Freddo Espresso (ice, sugar and espresso). STIX is the only Manhattan dining establishment with a world-class barista champion permanently on staff.

About American Harvest® Organic Spirit
Newly introduced and award-winning American Harvest is an American-made, organic vodka to which a proprietary blend of organic ingredients has been added, creating a truly unique vodka specialty. It's a revolutionary way to look at the vodka category and boasts a distinctive, smooth, clean and crisp taste.

American Harvest is handcrafted in small batches from organic winter wheat grown on a family owned and sustainably managed American farm. It is distilled and bottled in Rigby, Idaho using water from aquifers deep beneath the Snake River plain.

American Harvest has been developed with great care for the quality, organic nature and sustainable growing practices of all of its ingredients. It has no artificial additives or preservatives and is produced with a continuous column distillation process and charcoal filtration to ensure the integrity and purity of the spirit. The American Harvest Distillery is independently owned and operated and is USDA Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.

In addition to being a finalist at the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Competition, American Harvest has already received top honors and accolades such as a gold medal at The 2013 Spirits of the America's Competition, a gold medal from The Beverage Tasting Institute, a double gold medal from The 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and The Tasting Panel Seal of Excellence Award for outstanding quality.

About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.

SOURCE The ALS Association