ALS Association congratulates A-Rod

Dorine Gordon, president and chief executive officer of the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter congratulated Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for tying the 74-year-old record of 23 grand slam home runs by a major league player that was established by Lou Gehrig, who died of the disease in 1941.

“Rising to this record that has gone unmatched for nearly three-quarters of a century is an amazing feat,” Gordon said. “And for a fellow New York Yankee to now share this piece of history with the legend that is Lou Gehrig is extra special. We are proud to carry on the fight against the disease that bears Gehrig’s name and commend Alex on this outstanding accomplishment.”

Rodriguez tied the Gehrig mark in the eighth inning Tuesday night in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory over the Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta off lefthander Jonny Venters. It was A-Rod’s 13th grand slam with the Yankees, which also tied Joe DiMaggio for the second-most in franchise history. Those are the most slams in the majors since 2004 when Rodriguez joined the Yankees.

As one of The ALS Association’s leading chapters, the Greater New York Chapter services New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, and Northern & Central New Jersey an plays a major role in promoting the mission to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The ALS Association is a member of the National Health Council.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord causing muscle weakness and atrophy, resulting in paralysis. Due to the degenerative nature of ALS, there can be significant costs for medical care, equipment, and home health care giving later in the disease.

Approximately 5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time. ALS can strike anyone as it occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. Additionally, military veterans are twice more likely to develop ALS than civilians, regardless of branch of service or combat duty status. There is no known cause, no effective treatment and no cure.