By now, almost everyone knows about ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Many have had the misfortune of direct experience with the disease. Suffice it to say that it is a devastating and dreadful disease. We are committed to eradicating it.
ALS is not incurable. Rather, it is underfunded. The Tri-State Trek provides a meaningful portion of the annual budget of the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS-TDI). ALS-TDI is the world's foremost drug discovery center focused exclusively on ALS. Pioneering the "biotech model," ALS-TDI places the patient at the center of every decision made in the lab. The team of scientists at ALS-TDI collaborates daily in the lab and through pharmaceutical company partnerships worldwide to discover cures and treatment for ALS.
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In March of 2024, ALS-TDI announced a collaboration with Microsoft and Answer ALS, that brings together the two largest existing clinical and omics data sets relating to ALS. Through this partnership, comprehensive data collected through ALS-TDI's ALS Research Collaborative (ARC) will be added to Neuromine, an innovative data portal launched in 2021 by Answer ALS and powered by Microsoft Azure.
By nearly doubling the amount of data available through Neuromine, this groundbreaking collaboration can accelerate ALS research worldwide allowing researches to more easily discover and quickly validate new treatments.
The ARC study is ongoing and it has already collected more than eight years' worth of vital ALS data from over 1000 ALS patients worldwide. THis data will be added to 150 trillion data points from more than 1100 participants in a three year study conducted by Answer ALS.
A partnership with the likes of Microsoft and Answer ALS is available to a scientific laboratory only if it can demonstrate financial sustainability. Providing as much as 10% of its operating budget, the Tri-State Trek goes a long way toward demonstrating that ALS-TDI is adequately funded.
Research and data mining such as this is tedious, expensive, sometimes frustrating and always time consuming. Your contributions are a major source of the funding that makes this research and testing possible. You are making a direct impact in the lives of those afflicted with ALS and their loved ones.
I am both privileged and honored to ride for Team Bannon-Crush ALS. In its fifteen year history, this team alone has raised in excess of $2 million in contributions to the Tri-State Trek. While this is an accomplishment of which we are very proud, we have not completed our mission-to eradicate ALS. This can only happen through the continued generosity and compassion of our wonderful donors.
This is the second year of a different format for the Tri-State Trek. While still involving three states, the ride has been reduced to two weekend days, in order to increase participation. The ride begins and ends each day at the University of New Hampshire. Completing a century ride each day (100 miles), we will traverse the hills and valleys of New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts on June 22 and June 23.
This will be my tenth consecutive year of participation in this great event. Your contribution will automatically qualify you as a member of my team of more than 125 donors known as Team Higgs and will place your name on the list of recipients of my daily ride updates, which I will provide in the same fashion as in prior years, as I share this unique experience with you.
While I have not had a relative diagnosed with ALS, I have clearly been impacted by the disease through the people I have met who are associated with the Tri-State Trek and ALS TDI. The riders and those they ride for, as well as the doctors and staff at ALS TDI, are truly inspirational. It is rewarding to see our team grow and our fundraising efforts flourish for such a worthwhile cause. This is the only cause for which you will ever receive a fundraising plea from me.
Please be as generous as you can. Every little bit helps. And please take a moment to view the brief inspirational video directly below promoting this year's Trek. I hope that you will find this to be a worthwhile cause. Thank you, in advance, for your support.
Riding until we have a cure,
Bob
