League extends challenge to 160 teams this August to help fight ALS
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Minor League Baseball (MiLB) mascots and representatives, including MiLB President & CEO Pat O’Conner, accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, challenging all 160 teams to raise awareness and donations to fight the disease.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. There is no cure and no life-prolonging treatments for the disease.
In the video, O’Conner says, “Today we proudly accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from co-founders Pat Quinn and Pete Frates and we challenge all Minor League teams across the country to help bring this terrible disease to the forefront…”
The ALS Association has been the official charity partner of MiLB for more than a decade, and many of The Association’s chapters are coordinating with their local teams to promote the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at games this summer.
Minor League Baseball was challenged by ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founders Pat Quinn and Pete Frates in July.
“We’re thrilled to see MiLB take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge this year,” said Barb Newhouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of The ALS Association. “Every team that accepts the challenge will build on the momentum generated by the ALS community to find treatments and a cure for this disease. We are grateful for MiLB’s continued commitment to this cause.”
For more information on this year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, visit ALSA.org/icebucketchallenge.
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.
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.
