Feinberg, Les Turner ALS Foundation Celebrate Partnership
Hope Through Caring Award Dinner raises $500,000 for research and care at school
On March 19, more than 400 supporters of the Les Turner ALS Foundation came together to celebrate its impactful partnership with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and honoree J. Larry Jameson—vice president for medical affairs and former dean of Feinberg—while embracing a hopeful future for those with ALS.
The Hope Through Caring Award Dinner, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago, raised approximately $500,000 to support amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and care at Feinberg. Often known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” in memory of the famous baseball player afflicted with the condition, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. For more than 30 years, the Les Turner ALS Foundation and the medical school have partnered to advance research and introduce numerous, high impact contributions to ALS research and care.
The 24th event of its kind, the Hope Through Caring Award Dinner was emceed by Mr. Jonathan Eig, author of the book Luckiest Man, who dedicated the evening “to those living with ALS, who live each day with dignity and hope for a better future.” In his opening remarks, Mr. Eig described the heroism and courage of Lou Gehrig, comparing his spirit to the same qualities exemplified by members of the Les Turner ALS Foundation community. He also acknowledged members of the Feinberg community who have worked so tirelessly with the Foundation. Asking them to stand, he said, “These folks are paving the way for a cure and creating better lives every day for those living with ALS.”
Mr. Harvey Gaffen, president of the Les Turner ALS Foundation, recognized and thanked Dr. Jameson, along with the Northwestern medical community as a whole, and co-chairs of the award dinner, Mr. and Mrs. David and Lynne Weinberg. David Weinberg is a Northwestern University Trustee and a member of the Medical Affairs Committee.
To close the evening, Dr. Jameson took the podium to accept the award from Mr. Weinberg, and spoke on behalf of his many colleagues conducting ALS research at the Feinberg School. He highlighted more than three decades of innovative, committed work, made possible by the generosity of the Les Turner ALS Foundation.
“ALS is a daunting clinical problem that extracts an enormous toll on patients and families," he said. "There is reason to be hopeful about future research, however. We know the cellular origin of the disease and the genetic basis of rare causes of ALS, and we are making inroads into regenerative medicine. Public and private partnerships, like our deeply valued, longstanding partnership with the Les Turner ALS Foundation, are accelerating progress.
"Together we will conquer this disease.”
For more information about the Les Turner ALS Foundation, please visit www.lesturnerals.org.
On March 19, more than 400 supporters of the Les Turner ALS Foundation came together to celebrate its impactful partnership with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and honoree J. Larry Jameson—vice president for medical affairs and former dean of Feinberg—while embracing a hopeful future for those with ALS.
The Hope Through Caring Award Dinner, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago, raised approximately $500,000 to support amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and care at Feinberg. Often known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” in memory of the famous baseball player afflicted with the condition, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. For more than 30 years, the Les Turner ALS Foundation and the medical school have partnered to advance research and introduce numerous, high impact contributions to ALS research and care.
The 24th event of its kind, the Hope Through Caring Award Dinner was emceed by Mr. Jonathan Eig, author of the book Luckiest Man, who dedicated the evening “to those living with ALS, who live each day with dignity and hope for a better future.” In his opening remarks, Mr. Eig described the heroism and courage of Lou Gehrig, comparing his spirit to the same qualities exemplified by members of the Les Turner ALS Foundation community. He also acknowledged members of the Feinberg community who have worked so tirelessly with the Foundation. Asking them to stand, he said, “These folks are paving the way for a cure and creating better lives every day for those living with ALS.”
Mr. Harvey Gaffen, president of the Les Turner ALS Foundation, recognized and thanked Dr. Jameson, along with the Northwestern medical community as a whole, and co-chairs of the award dinner, Mr. and Mrs. David and Lynne Weinberg. David Weinberg is a Northwestern University Trustee and a member of the Medical Affairs Committee.
To close the evening, Dr. Jameson took the podium to accept the award from Mr. Weinberg, and spoke on behalf of his many colleagues conducting ALS research at the Feinberg School. He highlighted more than three decades of innovative, committed work, made possible by the generosity of the Les Turner ALS Foundation.
“ALS is a daunting clinical problem that extracts an enormous toll on patients and families," he said. "There is reason to be hopeful about future research, however. We know the cellular origin of the disease and the genetic basis of rare causes of ALS, and we are making inroads into regenerative medicine. Public and private partnerships, like our deeply valued, longstanding partnership with the Les Turner ALS Foundation, are accelerating progress.
"Together we will conquer this disease.”
For more information about the Les Turner ALS Foundation, please visit www.lesturnerals.org.
