Though the Phillies didn't have a game on Thursday, they were hard at work at Citizens Bank Park for the Annual Phillies Phestival, an event that raises money to help strike out ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). The event raised $718,689 towards patient care and services for ALS patients in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
"The Phillies family remains committed to doing whatever we can to put an end to this terrible disease," said David Montgomery, Phillies Chairman. "We are extremely thankful to the countless fans and sponsors, as well as players, day of game employees and front office staff, who have been behind this effort every step of the way." [Phillies.com]
According to the Phillies official site, Since the team adopted ALS as their primary charity in 1984, $17 million has been raised for the fight against the disease.
"The world has changed a lot in 32 years, but one thing that has not changed is the commitment by the Philadelphia Phillies to Strike Out ALS," said Ellyn Phillips, President of the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter. "As a result of the Phillies efforts these past three decades, people with ALS in our area have greater access to a wide range of services. We are honored to team with the Phillies for this cause because we see the impact that they make not just today, but every single day of the year."
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There is currently no cure for the disease and patients are normally given a 2-5 year lifespan post diagnosis. An estimated 5,600 people are diagnosed with the disease annually across the United States. Between 20,000 and 30,000 live with it at any given time.
Awesome day at Citizens Bank Park!! Thank you fans for coming out and helping us raise money for @ALSphiladelphia pic.twitter.com/9wJchMxD8h
— Andrew Bailey (@andrewbailey38) June 9, 2016
Tonight's #Phillies Phestival to #StrikeOutALS raised $718,689 for ALS patients. https://t.co/X24NFlucQV pic.twitter.com/YTG3JCqo9c
— Phillies (@Phillies) June 10, 2016
@Phillies another great @ALSphiladelphia Phestival tonight! Everyone was fantastic pic.twitter.com/L4OAyhO7jv
— Nicole Marie (@nicoleeabella) June 10, 2016
Make a donation to the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia
