Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord. More than 30,000 Americans are living with ALS at any time, with more than 5,000 new cases each year. While its causes are not completely understood, ALS affects thousands of American families every year and its research is significantly underfunded.
This year an organic movement began, started by former BC baseball player Pete Frates, to raise awareness for the disease. Pete has ALS and came up with a creative challenge: pour a bucket of ice water over your head and ask others to do the same within 24 hours. We the People challenge President Obama to take the #icebucketchallenge and #strikeoutALS if this petition gets 100,000 signatures!