Write a Letter-to-the-Editor in Support of Veterans 

In honor of Veteran's Day, The ALS Association has launched a letter-to-the-editor campaign to support our nation's veterans and raise awareness of the connection between military service and ALS, a disease that strikes veterans at approximately twice the rate as the general public.

The Association has prepared a sample letter that individuals can easily send to local media outlets leading up to Veterans Day.  In addition to raising awareness, this campaign will help generate support for veterans, their families and caregivers and advance the search for a treatment and cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease. 

The letter is particularly timely as November also is National Family Caregivers Month.  The letter can help educate veterans with ALS and their family caregivers across the country about the availability of vital benefits from the Veterans Administration.  The ALS Association advocated for these benefits, which include monthly disability compensation, health care and aide and attendant benefits so urgently needed by veterans with ALS and their families to help them meet the day to day challenges of living with this disease. 

To view and send a letter-to-the-editor, please visit The Association’s online Advocacy Action Center.  The Advocacy Action Center automatically will identify local media outlets and enable individuals to send the letter directly from the website. 

Our veterans fought for us.  Help us fight for them. 

Honoring our Veterans Video
As the leading organization advocating for military veterans with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, The ALS Association has produced a video to honor their service and pay tribute to the heroes we have lost in the war against ALS.  The video captures the emotion of a wreath laying ceremony The Association held at Arlington National Cemetery during the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, DC. 

The video is available on The ALS Association’s website and also can be found on The Association's official YouTube channel (note that you may need the latest version of Adobe Flash player to view the video).

Veterans Website
The ALS Association has created a special Veterans section of our website that includes important resources for veterans with ALS, their families, caregivers and survivors. The site has answers to frequently asked questions about regulations implemented in 2008 that provide historic new benefits to veterans with ALS.  In addition to health care and monthly disability compensation, benefits also include grants for adaptive housing, the purchase of an accessible vehicle and education assistance to name a few.  Importantly, benefits and compensation also are available for the survivors of veterans who have been lost to ALS. 

Roll Call of Veterans
The ALS Association encourages all veterans living with ALS to add their names to The Association’s Roll Call of Veterans.  By joining the Roll Call of Veterans, individuals will receive the latest information about veterans' benefits and other issues important to veterans with ALS.  To join the Roll Call, please click here.

If individuals have any questions or would like additional information on how they can support our veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, please contact The ALS Association at [email protected] or toll free at 1-877-444-ALSA.

November 2009