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Panorama Team Lends a Hand in
Walk to Defeat ALS
ALS Association – Alabama Chapter hosts fourth annual event in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, AL — October 9, 2009 —The team from Panorama Public Relations assisted ALS Association – Alabama Chapter with its fourth annual Walk to Defeat ALS, which drew more than 300 walkers to Vestavia Hills High School today.
As they have since the walk’s inception in Birmingham, Panorama associates lent their professional skills throughout the event’s planning and execution. Tommy Palladino, director of communications, served as media chair for the walk, coordinating media strategies to promote the event. Genevieve Douglass, client service associate, provided photography during the event. Sonja Lother, president, recruited state Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, to make an appearance at the walk.
In addition, Panorama volunteered its time to help coordinate logistics of the event, including soliciting in-kind donations from local vendors to provide food and other supplies for the event. Michele Dickey, client service associate, and friends of Panorama – Jessica Williams and Celia Grammas – pitched in to pull together event details and to help run the event itself.
“We admire the courage and determination of individuals with this devastating disease and the family and friends who provide support. Our greatest hope is that, through these walks, we raise awareness in the community. We want caregivers to know that there is a group of professionals and volunteers ready to help navigate issues they will face during the illness,” said Darlene E. Rotch, CEO of Panorama Public Relations and board member for the ALS Association – Alabama Chapter.
According to preliminary totals, the chapter collected more than $55,000 from corporate sponsors and individual pledges, with more expected to arrive within the weeks following the event. 85 percent of the monies raised go towards patient care in Alabama, with the remainder used by the National ALS Association for funding research, advocacy and other programs.
“The walk means a lot to families to show their support, and it means a lot to elected officials,” said Rep. DeMarco, addressing the crowd before the start of the walk. “With this and advocacy, hopefully we’ll be able to have more support from the state for ALS and other organizations.”
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating and terminal motor neuron disease 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. Physicians still have limited choices for treating ALS, and there is no known cure.
The ALS Association – Alabama Chapter, established in 2004, is a non-profit agency whose mission is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. To date, the Alabama Chapter serves 95 people with ALS in 35 counties throughout the state.
Visit the ALS Association – Alabama Chapter online at www.ALSAlabama.org for more information, including the Walk to Defeat ALS.
About Panorama Public Relations
Panorama Public Relations prepares and positions industry-leading companies to strategically communicate key messages to the media and other stakeholders who are vital to the financial well being of their business and brand. Founded in 1998, Panorama is based in Birmingham, AL, with satellite offices in Atlanta, GA, Huntsville, AL, and New Orleans, LA. www.prview.com
