See It: The Community being helped

A Midwinter Night's Dream is an annual gala fundraiser to benefit ALS, started and run entirely by high school students from Northport, NY. The students, myself included, became active in fighting ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease after a second teacher in the district was diagnosed with this terrible disease. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects voluntary muscle movements. As neurons die and muscles atrophy, patients are eventually left paralyzed and usually die within 2-5 years of diagnosis from respiratory failure. 90%-95% of patients are affected with sporadic ALS, having no family history of the disease. There is no known cause or cure for ALS. As we watch our beloved teachers progress, our desire to raise funds and awareness for ALS grows stronger. ALS research centers all over the country are in need of more funding for their projects, which most recently includes the manipulation of stem cells into neurons. This disease currently affects about 30,000 Americans, and kills about 6,000 each year. Over the past four years, AMND has raised $722,000 and is looking forward to their next event in January, held at Oheka Castle in Huntington, NY, where we hope to raise a total of one million dollars. All of the money raised directly benefits ALS research and families afflicted with the disease. A Midwinter Night's Dream is committed to raising funds and awareness until this disease is cured. Not only are the students active in fundraising, they have spent their summers working hands-on in prestigious research labs around the country, including Columbia University, Project A.L.S. Stem Cell Lab, ALS TDI and The Robert Packard Center for ALS Reseach at Johns Hopkins. We are fighting for our teachers and we will not give up. Please visit our website for more information at www.amnd.org

See It: The Community being helped

Immediately after our mother told my brother and I that she had been diagnosed with a fatal disease that had no cure and was given just 2-5 years to live, is when we decided to take action… to somehow make a difference.

In February 2004, our 38 year-old Mother was diagnosed with ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, (A.K.A. Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a fatal disease, which unfortunately has no cure. ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease that attacks the nerve cells & pathways in the brain & spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control & movement dies with them. Patients in later stages are totally paralyzed. Most patients live only 2-5 years after diagnosis.

Our mission is to find a cure for this devastating disease by raising funds & awareness. My brother and I, at ages 11 & 13, decided to get involved and established our “Kids4Cure” platform. We encourage kids/teens to join in our fight against ALS.

Over the past four years we have raised over $235,000 for the ALS Association through the ALS Walk to D’Feet ALS, Dinner/Theatre events, Raffles, Root Beer Float Sales, Corporate Sponsorships, Door to Door Soliciting and other avenues. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. ALSA provides support through research, patient and community services, public education, and advocacy.

We have had other kids make great contributions, through front-yard lemonade stands, roller-skating house to house in the neighborhood, making presentations at church, and even asking for donations instead of birthday presents at their parties.. We have seen first hand how young people can make a difference. The fight against ALS is a huge fight since the cause or cure is unknown. We need supporters of all ages and hope that by getting young people involved, they will continue the fight throughout their lifetime or until a cure is found.

At any one time as many as 30,000 Americans will have ALS. This is a fact. Because a relatively small percentage of the nation’s population is afflicted with this fatal disease at one time, ALS receives very little publicity. Not many are aware of ALS, while it is perhaps the most devastating diagnoses one can receive.

The truth is that the ALS community maintains a moderate population because its victims are constantly losing their battle with the disease. Every 90 minutes, ALS claims another life. This is a fact. The average person with ALS loses their ability to walk, speak, and breathe within two to five years after diagnosis. This is a fact. However these facts do not catch the attention of the public and government officials. When it comes to research funding, ALS is not at the top of the list to receive it because only 30,000 Americans currently have it.

This is why we are also teen ALS advocates. We have traveled to Washington D.C. for the past 3 years to meet with members of Congress about key legislature involving ALS patients & their families. During our trips to Washington, we have led conference sessions on “Teen Advocacy” to help educate other teens how to help “Strike out ALS”.

We will continue our fundraising & advocacy efforts until a cure is found. Our next project is to roll out our “Strike Out ALS” Paper Baseball Campaign. We will send mailings to headquarters of retailers asking them to sell our paper baseballs that say “I Pitched In to Strike Out ALS” at the point of purchase. Baseballs would be sold for $1, “autographed” by the consumer, then displayed on a “Wall of Fame” in-store. The funds raised would go to research to help find a cure. This would also create awareness and educate other about ALS. We hope to travel to meet with key decision makers in person to present the ALS story and ask for their support.

Our initial intentions for embarking on what has become a life-changing experience was to search for a cure and bring awareness to this terrible disease simply because our mother had been diagnosed with it. However, we have since made friends and lost friends on this journey. My brother and I have seen ALS patients in their latest phases of life. We have seen the innocence and helplessness that exists within these victims and realize that although this disease hits close to home, we are now advocating for more than just our mother. We advocate for the friends we have lost, the friends we have now, and all those who are victims of ALS. We speak for those who cannot speak, whether it be because they have passed away, have been immobilized, or have simply lost the power to do so. For hope that those who have ALS, such as our mom will outlive the disease, we have made it clear that we will live out our mission until a cure is found.

Paul Carey - Age 17

See It: The Community being helped

The Special Events/Development Intern is a paid internship beginning as soon as possible. This individual will serve as a member of the fundraising team and will report to a Special Events Manager. The position’s primary focus is to provide support to the fundraising team in the execution and development of special events for the Foundation. The roster of special events that this position will have key roles in includes Lou Gehrig Day at Wrigley Field and ALS Walk4Life. S/he will also support the team in researching prospective sponsorship alliances and other fundraising efforts. At the conclusion of the internship, there is the option to extend the internship duration, dependent upon intern interest and Foundation priorities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES
1. Provide support in the coordination of event logistics for Foundation events.
2. Act as primary contact in the planning and support of external (friends/family) fundraising events.
3. Assist with pre- and post-event communications with registered and prospective event participants and team leaders.
4. Collaborate with team in the development and execution of on-event materials (e.g. forms, signage, promotional items).
5. Manage event responses, registrations and donations, including creating and maintaining database files.
6. Maintain Foundation archives of event activities and update local area event listings.
7. Assisting with prospecting for auction donors and soliciting for item donations via the internet and phone calls.
8. Work with Development/Fundraising Associate to research prospective sponsorship alliances, keep up-to-date on ALS and fundraising trends and provide summary to staff.
9. Coordination of mail lists and mailings.
10. Other duties, based on intern interest and Foundation priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS
- College students majoring in marketing, communications, public relations, advertising, non-profit management, business or related field.
- Enrolled in an accredited college or university and be in good academic standing.
- Must be at least of second-year standing.
- Demonstrate strong analytical thinking, problem solving skills and communications skills (both written and oral) with attention to detail.
- Possess an ability to interact professionally with potential donors, external vendors, volunteers and board members.
- Must be a team player, resourceful and creative.
- Minimum commitment of 15-20 hours a week, 12 week commitment desired. Must provide his/her own transportation.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- Writing sample required (3 page maximum).

Please submit a cover letter, along with your resume and a writing sample (3 page maximum) to . Please indicate that you are responding to the posting on DoSomething.org.

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Established in 1977, the Les Turner ALS Foundation is one of the nation’s preeminent organizations dedicated to raising funds for the treatment and elimination of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Foundation has been affiliated with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine since 1979, where it funds both a clinical care program and world-class scientific research. The Les Turner ALS Foundation’s patient service programs are available to all ALS patients and caregivers in Chicago and the surrounding areas, regardless of where they receive their medical care. These services include support group meetings, professional in-home consultation services, communications and durable medical equipment programs, respite care grants and many educational activities.

See It: The Community being helped

At my high school and in my community, recycling bins seem surprisingly empty while garbage cans overflow with cardboard, paper, and to the greatest extent, plastic bottles. What I propose for my community project is to make a visual representation of how many recyclable bottles are carelessly thrown away. I feel that individuals do not realise that an entire communities worth of plastic bottles being thrown away is causing undo harm to the enviroment and in turn, our health. I will get a group of students together and build a large bin, which we will fill with one weeks worth of plastic being thrown away, which will in turn be recycled. After this section of the project is over, we will fundraise by selling reusable nalgalene water bottles, and the proceeds will be given to the ALS Association to benefit Lou Gehrig's disease research.

See It: The Community being helped

At my high school and in my community, recycling bins seem surprisingly empty while garbage cans overflow with cardboard, paper, and to the greatest extent, plastic bottles. What I propose for my community project is to make a visual representation of how many recyclable bottles are carelessly thrown away. I feel that individuals do not realise that an entire communities worth of plastic bottles being thrown away is causing undo harm to the enviroment and in turn, our health. I will get a group of students together and build a large bin, which we will fill with one weeks worth of plastic being thrown away, which will in turn be recycled. After this section of the project is over, we will fundraise by selling reusable nalgalene water bottles, and the proceeds will be given to the ALS Association to benefit Lou Gehrig's disease research.

See It: The Community being helped

On April 28th, 2007, The College of William and Mary Circle K International will be holding their second annual Strike Out ALS fundraiser. Last year
William and Mary CKI held the first “Strike Out ALS” fundraiser. This event was planned in order to bring awareness to the college and outside community of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and to raise money to help fight the disease, while at the same time promoting school spirit and bringing the Kiwanis family closer together through a project we could work on and jointly attend.

The idea for this project came from a William and Mary CKI member whose grandfather had recently died from ALS. Her idea was to hold a fundraiser with our school baseball team in which the students could come to the game for free and be sponsored by local businesses that would give money to the ALS association for every student that attended the game. The event was an immense success, raising over $2000, and so we decided to make this an annual event. We are currently gathering local sponsorships, arranging state-wide publicity, and working with the Williamsburg Kiwanis club to promote and execute this event.