ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of a select group of nerve cells and pathways (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord. This loss of motor neurons leads to progressive paralysis of the voluntary muscles. For more information, visit the About ALS section, or view our Educational Videos for information on specific topics, including lifts and home modifications, dental hygiene and the ERIKA eye gaze system.

The ALS Society of Ontario is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the necessary equipment and support services to people living with ALS as well as to provide funding to the ALS Society of Canada towards research for a cure. For more information, visit the About Us section.

Announcements

Amethyst Ball for ALS - October 15th, 2010

The inaugural Amethyst Ball, in support of ALS Ontario and Dr. John Turnbull's research at McMaster University, is taking place on Friday Oct. 15, 2010 (6 p.m.) at the historic Liuna Station in Hamilton.

Join us for cocktails and dinner, along with Connie Smith, TV personality, and dancing to the smooth sounds of the Ken Meyer Band. The Amethyst Ball will celebrate the achievements of special honourees Dr. Jeff and Mrs. Darlene Sutherland.

For tickets, at $125 per person, contact Shelly Curry (cur...@mcmaster.ca or 905.521.2100 ext 76365 or ext 76870)

Are You Game?

It's time to get in the swing of things with the annual Tee Off 4 ALS, taking place on September 21st at Indian Wells Golf Course. Foursomes and sponsorship opportunities are still available - contact Jeannette (ext. 220) for more information.

Hike the Trail to Prevail

Join us on September 25, 2010 for the Hike for ALS and Family Day at the Kortright Centre for Conservation. Enjoy a 5 or 10 km hiking trail from the boardwalk through to scenic lookout points in the forest. For the family, jumping castles, face painting, popcorn and cotton candy are available to enjoy.

Contact Liz (ext. 218) for more information. 

WALK for ALS - Because You Can

It's the time of year where supporters are lacing up their walking shoes and taking to the street or trails in 30 communities around Ontario to walk for those who can't.

The annual WALK for ALS is now well underway, with Belleville, London, Parry Sound, Smith Falls, Stratford, Thunder Bay taking place in September. Thank you to ALL the communities that have held Walks so far!

Walk for ALS helps to increase awareness of the disease, raise money for equipment and support services for those living with ALS, and garner funds towards research to find a cure.

Find a WALK near you at www.walkforals.ca or contact Liz, Manager, Events, at 1-866-611-8545 ext 218 or

ALS Ontario Provides Information on Medicum's Payer Access Assistance

 

Made Change at LCBOs Across the Province

Thank you to the Dyck family for helping us raise just over $15,000 in this year's LCBO coin box campaign!

In June, ALS Ontario had a coinbox on all registers at more than 600 LCBOs across Ontario. The coinbox backer card featured a picture of Brian Dyck, who was diagnosed with ALS last Fall, and his daughter. The Dyck family have been strong advocates for ALS awareness.

"I never heard of ALS before I was diagnosed," said Brian. "There is the same incidence rate as MS but poeple don't know about ALS. That's why I feel I have to fight to raise awareness."

ALS NOW Bracelet - Enjoy Crafty Fundraising

Now is the time to do something for a worthy cause while enjoying quality time with close friends and family. Get your loved ones together this summer for crafty fundraising!
The ALS NOW bracelet consists of semi-precious gemstones and Swarovski crystals which you can fashion into a beautiful bracelet for many to enjoy.
Available now, the bracelet kits are sold for $100 and contain stones and letter beads to make five bracelets. Bracelets can be purchased pre-made for $25 (plus shipping). Kit proceeds will go to ALS Ontario, which provides equipment and support services for people living with ALS.
To start your crafty fundraising, contact Jeannette at or 905 248 2101 x 220.
 

Ontario Trillium Grants Received

ALS Ontario has been fortunate to be the recipients of three Ontario Trillium Foundation grants to grow our Community Development Program. Funding is for a two year period in support of corresponding ALS Ontario Regional Managers so they can assist ALS families, increase ALS awareness, connect with community-based healthcare organizations, provide education and advocacy as well as raise much needed funds to continue providing support after the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant period has been completed.

Our Regional Managers help support clients and their families and build a solid fundraising base in the regions across Ontario. Through their dedication and hard work, our regional managers have raised ALS awareness in the communities that they serve.

The following are regions which have received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation grants:

• 2009 - ALS Ontario York-Simcoe Region
• 2009 - Ontario ALS Parkinson Huntington Partnership Durham Region
• 2010 ALS Ontario - PT Thames Valley Region

In 2008, ALS Ontario received funding for a Volunteer Coordinator for the Greater Toronto Area to be shared with our partners at Parkinsons.

Thank you to the Ontario Trillium Foundation - we could not do what we do without our generous supporters!

ALS Ontario Partners with Toronto Argonauts

ALS Ontario is pleased to announce a new and exciting partnership with the Toronto Argonauts Football Club. ALS Awareness Night will be October 15, 2010 for an exciting Ontario rivalry between the Hamilton TigerCats vs. Toronto Argonauts. Tickets are $25 each with a large portion going back to ALS. To purchase your tickets please contact Liz Cowan at or 905-248-2101 ext 218.
ALS Ontario will also be running a 50/50 draw at the October 29th home game. If you would like to volunteer please contact Liz Cowan.

Come out and meet the Toronto Argonaut cheerleaders at the Toronto Walk for ALS, Hike for ALS and Tee-Off for ALS!!!

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting partnership!

Helping People with ALS is Just a Click Away!

The ALS Society of Ontario has partnered with OurGV Rewards to launch a new online fundraising toolbar!

Within our toolbar is a Yahoo! powered search engine that does not replace your existing toolbar(s). It is designed to help us raise funds in a non-intrusive way at no cost to us, or to you! There are no pop-ups, spyware, adware or user tracking, and your privacy is protected.

How does it work? Simply download the toolbar by clicking the banner below [view a video on how to download the toolbar in our Educational Videos section]:

The toolbar can be downloaded in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers. When you use our toolbar to do your regular web searching, you will get the same information results that you receive using your current search engine. Every time you click on a sponsored results link (the links are listed in bullet form in the shaded area at the top of the page and on the right side of the page) you raise money for ALS Ontario!

And, if you buy items from ALS Ontario’s shopping mall, also linked from the toolbar, we receive a portion of the proceeds from your purchase! The shopping mall features more than 1,500 stores, including major retailers such as Canadian Tire, Sears, Westjet and Expedia.

We encourage you to share this quick and easy fundraising initiative with your friends and family, and we’ve made it easy for you to do so: just click on the “Refer a Friend” link on the far right-hand side of the toolbar and you’ll be able to email the link to your contacts!

By searching and clicking a few times a day – and buying items you were going to buy anyway, through our online shopping mall – you can help improve the lives of people with ALS and their families.

Watch Our Virtual Symposium on ALS Online!

On November 2, the ALS Society of Ontario presented a virtual symposium on ALS with the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) and the ALS clinic at McMaster University.  Topics included the dynamics of ALS, respiratory management, psychosocial issues and best practices for delivering services to ALS clients and their families. If you missed the symposium, it is still viewable online at the OTN website. Click here to view the symposium.