March 7, 2007

New National Partners Building Excitement
at the Spring Season of Walk to Defeat ALS

By Gary Wosk, Staff Writer
Royal Caribbean Majesty
The Royal Caribbean International’s Majesty at sunset. 
The spring season for the Walk to Defeat ALS� is already underway, and if The ALS Association’s national signature event does not provide enough fresh air for participants, perhaps a trip on an ocean cruise for the top fundraisers will because the Walk is heading out to sea this year, figuratively. Royal Caribbean and worldwide Celebrity Cruises and Permobil Inc. have joined Booz Allen Hamilton as national partners for the Walk and have donated free cruises to the event to be held in close to 150 cities this year.

A total of 10 relaxing 7-day cruises for two people each await the individuals or teams who raise the most money in the Walk. In addition, anyone who raises $5,000 or more online will automatically be entered into a drawing for the same prize.

empty wheelchair

Permobil, Inc., has donated state-of-the-art C500 Corpus wheelchairs to The ALS Association’s national network of chapters.

There also will be incentives for The Association national network of 41 chapters. Permobil Inc., the wheelchair manufacturer that provided actor James Woods with a C500 Corpus model wheelchair for his role as a person with ALS last year on the NBC show “ER,” has donated four of the wheelchairs to The Association. The chapters that win a drawing will add the wheelchairs to its loan closets.

If the incentives attract more participants and increase revenue, as expected, the chapters will able to provide additional services and programs to people with ALS and their families. The Walk also will help The Association fund more international research. 

“We are very excited about this Walk season,” says L. Ashton Chase, Senior Director, National Signature Events. 

Florida Kevins Warriors
Kevin’s Warriors prepare to roll in the Walk to Defeat ALS� held by The ALS Association’s Florida Chapter in Jupiter, Fla. Kevin Bailey participates every year with his family assisting in the effort. 
The Association and its chapters are working closely together to recruit more national partners, a collaboration that Chase calls “smart business.” “Most national partners in any organization usually bubble up from the local chapter,” he said. A new 7-l/2-minute motivational “Why We Walk” video narrated by actress Kate Linder from “The Young and the Restless,” which will be shown at corporate kickoffs, luncheons, support groups and volunteer meetings, and a stronger volunteer system, also could motivate more people to register for the Walk, Chase said.  

“The Walk video is a universal video that shows people why they walk, and it is a wonderful piece that motivates and generates enthusiasm about the Walk.”  

The goal this year is to raise approximately $15 million compared to the $12.5 million raised last year.


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