Momentum continues for UMass ALS Champion Fund

$150,000 anonymous donation comes on the heels of $500,000 gift from Biogen

March 23, 2012

Following an exciting major fundraising event on Thursday, March 15, at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, an anonymous donor has presented a $150,000 gift to the UMass ALS Champion Fund to support critical research into ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases at UMass Medical School. Former Gov. Paul Cellucci helped launched the Champion Fund last year, shortly after announcing that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The UMass ALS Champion Fund, which has raised more than a million dollars in the 10 months since it was launched, was created to drive awareness of and funding for the neuroscience breakthroughs happening at UMass Medical School, and in the laboratory of Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, chair and professor of neurology and one of the world’s leading ALS researchers.

This is the second major gift in a week for the Fund, which announced a $500,000 gift from Biogen Idec during a press conference before the March 15 fundraiser. See video of the press conference below:

One of the highlights of the fundraising event was the inspirational video below. Learn why the UMass ALS Champion Fund, which aims to help UMMS scientists pursue ALS research leads that might otherwise take years to attract funding for from traditional sources, will help position researchers at UMMS to seize the moment when highly promising discoveries are made in the lab.

Related links:
Biogen Idec gives major gift for ALS research at UMMS
UMass ALS Champion Fund website 
Boston Marathon runners train in support of ALS research
Wanted: Boston Marathon runners to support ALS research
Gov. Cellucci talks about raising money for ALS research
Donation gives greater visibility to UMass ALS Champion Fund
Cellucci takes ALS fight to center field at Fenway
A pitch to raise millions for ALS research