Lou Gehrig Night

Last September, the Department of Veterans Affairs ruled that any service member or veteran diagnosed with ALS will be entitled to service connection and full benefits. The ruling is based on the fact that men and women who served in the military have a higher incidence of the paralyzing and fatal disease.

I immediately shared that information with my sisters, considering that our dad, an Army veteran of World War II, had died from the disease in 1987. Good news this VA ruling, I thought, but a little too late for my father.

However, this past weekend, I heard from my sister, Kathy, that the VA had awarded my stepmother a pension, based on my father's death, 22 years ago. Kathy asked me to share that with other families who may have been or are dealing with ALS.

For more about the ruling, refer to this press release:

http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1583


Coincidentally, at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 6, the Sarasota Reds and the ALS Association Florida Chapter present Lou Gehrig Night at Ed Smith Stadium. Tickets to the game and all concession items are just $1. Raffle tickets will be sold to win signed Major League Baseball memorabilia; proceeds from the raffle will support the ALS Association Florida Chapter.


Jim