Project ALS Announces Don’t Talk-a-Thon Fundraising Event
In recognition of May as ALS Awareness Month, the nonprofit Project ALS is inviting those interested in joining the Don’t Talk-a-Thon, which runs through May 21 to raise awareness for the disease and funds for research.
The annual fundraising event will culminate with a one-hour vow of silence on May 21 to honor those who lost their speech because of the disease. Project ALS aims to accelerate the pace of the most promising research that will end ALS. All the funds raised through the Don’t Talk-a-Thon will go to Project ALS research.
“The Don’t Talk-a-Thon makes it easy for everyone who wants to make a difference,” Meredith Estess, president of Project ALS, said in a news release. “Register online, do your part, and move the world closer to a cure.”
The Don’t Talk-a-Thon was launched in 2009 by Avery Niedrowski in honor of her grandfather, who was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS in 2005 and who died in 2007. In 2009, Avery, who was 9 at the time, remained silent for 10 hours, and with this vow, she was able to raise an impressive amount of money. Avery and her family donated all the funds to Project ALS.
Since that time, the Don’t Talk-a-Thon yearly event has raised more than $250,000, all going directly to research.
More information on how to take part in the event, how to start a fundraising page, and how to donate to the Don’t Talk-a-Thon can be found at DontTalkAThon.org.
Those interested in supporting Project ALS’ mission can also follow the Don’t Talk-a-Thon through social media pages on Twitter.com/ProjectALSorg, Instagram.com/ProjectALS, and Facebook.com/ProjectALS. Project ALS is asking everyone to share their stories by using the campaign hashtag #DontTalkAThon2017.
ALS is a progressive neurological disease that mainly involves the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Â In ALS, as motor neurons die, voluntary muscles lose their ability to produce movements like chewing, walking, breathing, and talking. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease.
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