FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Birmingham Walk to Defeat ALS™ Almost Doubles in Attendance and Fundraising
Panorama PR Factors into Walk SuccessBirmingham, Ala. — October 21, 2010 — Panorama Public Relations today announced the 5th Annual Birmingham Walk to Defeat ALS, held on October 9, almost doubled in size and revenue. The fundraising goal was $57,000, and as of October 20, funds received totaled more than $92,600. The number of Walk participants increased from 300 to 550.
Panorama VP Melanie Green chaired the Walk, and the firm’s staff members helped with logistics and registration. Since the inaugural Birmingham Walk in October 2006, Panorama has donated time to gain media exposure; provide photography; obtain speakers from state government offices; and handle in kind donations and logistics.
“I am overwhelmed at the participation and generosity of everyone from participants, to volunteers, to sponsors,” said Melanie Green, VP of Operations for Panorama and Chair of the Birmingham Walk. “I lost my maternal grandfather and my mother to ALS, so research and patient services are especially critical to me. Only 10% of cases are familial. It’s extraordinary to be able to leverage my profession to help even more.”
Eighty-six percent of Walk funds go toward patient care in Alabama and the remainder is used by the National ALS Association for cutting-edge research, advocacy and other programs.
Approximately 150 Walk events are held across the country each year, and more than $80 million has been raised through the Walk program since its inception in 2000.
About ALS
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gehrig first brought national and international attention to ALS in 1939 when he abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with it. The degenerative motor neuron disease can lead to total paralysis before taking the vital functions of breathing and swallowing. Meanwhile, mental capacity and senses are unaffected. Average life span from the time of diagnosis is two to five years, and there is no cure and no treatment to halt the disease. Good news came early in 2009 with the discovery of a gene, ALS6, responsible for about five percent of inherited cases, and again in the summer with adoption of a national registry of ALS patients by the Center for Disease Control.About Panorama Public Relations
Panorama Public Relations prepares and positions industry-leading companies to strategically
communicate key messages to the media and other stakeholders for the financial well-being
of their business and brand. Founded in 1998, Panorama is based in Birmingham, AL.
www.prview.comMEDIA CONTACT
Melanie Green, Panorama Public Relations, 205-328-9334 x6
