On Saturday, March 18, 2023 the Orlando ALS community will gather at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando to help support ALS research and raise funds for local families impacted by ALS

Press Release
FOR RELEASE March 1, 2023

Contact: Candyl Eyster
813.418.0769
candyl.eyster@als.org

2023 Central Florida Walk to Defeat ALS Presented by Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute to Be Held on March 18
Fundraising through the Walk to Defeat ALS drives bold and urgent innovation as we march together toward a treatment that makes ALS livable – until we find a cure

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Saturday, March 18, 2023 the Orlando ALS community will gather at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando to raise awareness around ALS and raise funds for research and programs that support families impacted by ALS. ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease that gradually robs people of their ability to walk, talk, swallow and eventually breathe. ALS has no known cause or cure, but the Orlando community is rallying together to change that.

ALS patients, along with their families and friends, advocates and supporters, will make a 1-mile trek in The Walk to Defeat ALS, hoping their steps will make a difference for ALS patients living in Central Florida.  Many who walk have a loved one who is still fighting the life-limiting disease. Others walk in memory of a loved one who has lost the battle. Many people, without any personal connection, still walk out of a simple concern for those who are suffering and to support efforts to help fund research, make ALS a livable disease for everyone, everywhere – until we find a cure.

With only two to five years of average life expectancy, these patients have an urgent need, and the community is stepping in to fill it by walking for those who can’t.  The Walk to Defeat ALS is The ALS Association’s signature event in which all funds directly support cutting-edge research, programs, and patient care. Last year, these events raised over $902,000 around the state of Florida.

All interested participants can register online at: Central Florida Walk to Defeat ALS

The Quick Facts

What:                   Central Florida Walk to Defeat ALS

When:                  Saturday, March 18, 2023

                               9:00 am – Registration

                               10:-00 am – Walk Begins

Where:                 Lake Eola Park, 512 E. Washington Street, Orlando 32801

Why:                To raise funds and awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease. There is no known cause or cure for ALS. All proceeds raised will support patient care and comfort, as well as research for treatments and a cure.

For more information:  Central Florida Walk to Defeat ALS

The ALS Association

The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at als.org.

About ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts more than 1,600 people in Florida.  This terrible disease knows no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries.  It can strike anyone at any time.  Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes, someone dies from ALS. Death is usually due to respiratory failure because of diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Few treatment options exist for these patients, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression.