BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Press Release\nMedia Contact:\nMari Sullivan\, Public Relatio ns Manager\, ALS TDI\, 617-441-7220\, msullivan@als.net\n \;\nFor Im mediate Release\nALS TDI Tri-State Trek Celebrates 10th Anniversary\nThe annual three day\, 270 mile bike ride continues its commitment to fund research to end ALS\n \;Cambridge\, MA &ndash\; April 23\, 2012 &nda sh\; The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) Tri-State Trek is c elebrating its 10th anniversary this year. A three-day\, 270 mile bike r ide from Boston to Greenwich\, CT\, the Trek raises money and awareness to end amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)\, better known as Lou Gehrig& rsquo\;s disease.\n \;&ldquo\;The ALS TDI Tri-State Trek is about ri ding for those who can&rsquo\;t\,&rdquo\; says David Virden\, a five-tim e cyclist in the event and now the Tri-State Trek&rsquo\;s organizer. &l dquo\;Over the years this event has brought so many great people togethe r &ndash\; from those who know someone with ALS or have lost someone to the disease to those who come to support the cause. Watching a loved one suffer through ALS leaves family and friends feeling helpless. Riders\, crew and supporters of ALS TDI&rsquo\;s Tri-State Trek feel like they&r squo\;re doing something that weekend. It&rsquo\;s an unbelievable feeli ng. We ride to support one another and raise money so that one day\, no one has to die from ALS.&rdquo\;\n \;The 10th anniversary three-day Tri-State Trek will take place July 20-22\, 2012. It will start in Newto n\, MA\, on Friday\, July 20\, and finish in Greenwich\, CT\, on Sunday\ , July 22. The route passes through 52 communities and includes 12 rest stops\, two lunch stops and two overnight stays. Cyclists can ride all o r part of the route and participate all three days\, one of the three da ys or any two-day combination. In addition\, volunteers and crew are nee ded and encouraged to participate throughout the three days.\n \;Sin ce 2003\, the Trek has grown from 16 cyclists to more than 260 riders in 2011. The event has raised more than $2.6 million for ALS TDI\, a nonpr ofit biotechnology institute in Cambridge\, MA\, dedicated to developing effective therapies as soon as possible for people with ALS today.\n&nb sp\;&ldquo\;The 10th anniversary ride is both a celebratory event and a sobering reminder of how devastating a disease ALS still is to people to day\,&rdquo\; says Steve Perrin\, Ph.D.\, CEO and Chief Scientific Offic er of ALS TDI and a cyclist in the Tri-State Trek. &ldquo\;We want to th ank everyone who participates\, volunteers\, donates and cheers during t he Tri-State Trek. Everyone involved in this event plays a crucial role in helping ALS TDI to advance potential treatments for ALS toward the cl inic as quickly as possible for patients today.&rdquo\;\n \;For more information on riding\, volunteering\, donating or just coming out to c heer\, call 617-441-7200 or visit us online at http://www.als.net/tst.\n  \;\nAbout ALS\nAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS\, Lou Gehrig&rsqu o\;s disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to p aralysis\, due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brai n. There is no known cause\, cure or effective treatment for the disease . About 5\,000 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year\; the i ncidence is similar to Multiple Sclerosis. However\, with no effective t reatment and an aggressive and rapid disease progression\, the average p atient survives only 2-5 years following their diagnosis. There are abou t 30\,000 US citizens diagnosed with the disease at any given time. The worldwide population of ALS patients is estimated at 400\,000.\n \;\ nAbout ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI)\nThe mission of the A LS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is to develop effective thera peutics that slow or stop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS\, Lou Gehri g&rsquo\;s disease) as soon as possible for patients today. Focused on m eeting this urgent unmet medical need\, ALS TDI executes a robust target discovery program\, while simultaneously operating the world&rsquo\;s l argest efforts to preclinically validate potential therapeutics\; includ ing a pipeline of dozens of small molecules\, protein biologics\, gene t herapies and cell-based constructs. The world&rsquo\;s first nonprofit b iotech institute\, ALS TDI has developed an industrial-scale platform\, employs 30 professional scientists and evaluates dozens of potential the rapeutics each year. Built by and for patients\, the Cambridge\, Massach usetts based research institute collaborates with leaders in both academ ia and industry to accelerate ALS therapeutic development\, including Bi ogen Idec\, UCB\, Aestus Therapeutics\, MDA and RGK Foundation. For more information\, please visit us online at www.als.net.\n \;\n# \; # \; # \; URL:http://woonsocket.patch.com/events/tri-state-trek-to-benefit-als-tdi- 6af7e5de SUMMARY:Tri-State Trek to benefit ALS TDI LOCATION:300 Technology Sq\, Cambridge\, MA 02139: 300 Technology Sq\, Ca mbridge\, MA END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR