The ALS Association
The mission of the ALS Association 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.

As the only not-for-profit voluntary health agency dedicated solely to the fight against ALS, they direct the largest privately-funded research enterprise engaged to uncover the mystery of a disease that affects as many as 30,000 annually. With more than 5,600 people diagnosed each year – an average of 15 new cases each day – their mission is urgent.

What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.

The ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter, founded on January 27, 1990, is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization based out of Dedham, Massachusetts. We offer more than a dozen free services for patients and their families, including a respite care program, an equipment loan program, a children’s program and support groups. We, along with our sister Chapters from across the country, also contribute significantly to research efforts both nationally and internationally, making The ALS Association the largest private source of funding for ALS research anywhere in the world.

The Evergreen Chapter, founded in January of 1999, operates under a shared mission: to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support, and to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research. The Evergreen Chapter focuses primarily on helping local patients and families live with ALS while the National Office focuses primarily on research and advocacy. The Chapter supports the National Office through revenue sharing and research contributions. The National Office supports the Chapters by providing up-to-date information and materials.