The Ride to Defeat ALS Invites Cycling Enthusiasts of All Ages and Skill Levels to Ride their Way for ALS Care and Research

Event Raises Awareness and Funds to Fight ALS

The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter invites cycling enthusiasts of all ages to join the Ride to Defeat ALS, a family-friendly, noncompetitive bike ride that raises awareness and funds to fight ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Each year, the Ride to Defeat ALS brings together riders of all abilities to travel up to 100 miles to Wildwood, NJ to support the mission of The ALS Association. This year, in an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 outbreak, The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter is inviting riders to “Ride Your Way” by riding their favorite trails, taking on their own personal riding challenges, or riding from their home and to share their videos and pictures to document their progress.

Riders can register and donate at www.Ride2DefeatALS.org. All participants will receive exclusive benefits to encourage them to continue riding.

“We are grateful to every team who have signed up to Ride to Defeat ALS so far,” said Ride organizer Kerry Durkan Braun. “While the ride experience is different this year, many riders were already riding virtually before 2020 and we are excited to see how creative our ride teams will be as we work to end ALS.”

For more information, visit Ride2DefeatALS.org  or contact Kerry Durkan Braun at Kerry@alsphiladelphia.org or 215-664-4138.

About ALS

Familiarly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. A particularly cruel disease, ALS destroys a person’s ability to control muscle movement. As it progresses, a person becomes trapped inside a body they can no longer control, and eventually is unable to walk, talk, breathe, or even blink an eye. Average life expectancy is just two to five years from diagnosis. Military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ALS, making it a service connected disease. While the disease can strike anyone regardless of age, gender, race, or nationality, studies have found that military veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS.

About The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter

For more than 40 years, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter has worked to improve quality of life for people with ALS by supporting vital ALS research, providing care and services to patients and families, and promoting legislation that supports ways to help better manage, and eventually end, this devastating disease. Serving more than 1,200 people each year, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter covers a broad service area that encompasses the eastern half of PA, central and southern NJ, and all of Delaware. For more information, visit alsphiladelphia.org and follow on social media @alsphiladelphia.