Elmira Dedicates Friday's Game vs. Utica to ALS Awareness
ALS Awareness Night Flyer
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- With the month of May signaling the beginning of ALS Awareness Month, the Elmira College baseball team has dedicated its game on Friday, May 5, against Utica College as an ALS Awareness Game.
First pitch for the Empire 8 Conference contest between the Soaring Eagles and Pioneers, which will decide EC's postseason fate, is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at historic Dunn Field.
All proceeds raised during Friday night's game will go to the family of a Soaring Eagle student-athlete, which has been directly impacted by the fatal disease. A $1.00 admission will be charged at the gate, and concessions – including root beer floats – will be available to purchase throughout the night. The sale of EC baseball merchandise and special royal blue jerseys worn by the team during the contest, as well as a 50/50 raffle, will also be used to help raise additional funds.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the function of nerves and muscles. The disorder causes muscles to weaken and deteriorate due to the degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons. Individuals affected by the disorder may ultimately lose the ability to initiate and control voluntary movements such as breathing and speaking. There is no known cure for ALS.
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease in remembrance of the former New York Yankee and MLB Hall of Famer who was diagnosed in 1939 and passed away two years later. More recently, former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed in 2012, inspired the world to take the "Ice Bucket Challenge," a social media movement that helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for ALS research.
"It's about being able to support someone that is close to you and certainly this family is a close part of the Elmira College baseball family," stated EC Head Coach
Corey Paluga. "When you have one of your own that is affected by a disease like ALS, we want to be able to support them any way possible."