'Roadmap to a Cure': The ALS Association Hosts Annual National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washing...( Advocates fr...),Health

Advocates from across the country are preparing to unite on Capitol Hill this month as The ALS Association hosts the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference.

Washington, D.C. (Vocus) May 5, 2009 -- Advocates from across the country are preparing to unite on Capitol Hill this month as The ALS Association hosts the 2009 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference. The three day conference, which will take place May 10-12 in Washington, D.C., provides the ALS community with an opportunity to come together, share their experiences and hopes, and urge Congress to join the fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease.

"Roadmap to a Cure" is the theme of this year's conference, which is the single largest annual gathering of the entire ALS community. Through advocacy, The Association is creating the roadmap that will lead to the treatment and cure for ALS.

Currently, there is no known cause of ALS or effective treatment for the progressive, neurodegenerative disease that took the life of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, and which now bears his name. The disease is fatal in an average of just two to five years following diagnosis.

"This disease robs people of the ability to move, to walk, to speak and ultimately breathe on their own," said Steve Gibson, vice president of government relations and public affairs for The Association. "The Advocacy Conference gives them the opportunity to fight back and make members of Congres
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