ALS Awareness Month
A condition affecting motor neurons, ALS challenges resilience, fostering community, advancing research, and supporting individuals.
Leverage ALS Awareness Month to drive cause-driven campaigns around ribbon merchandise, fundraising partnerships, and health-focused brand storytelling tied to resilience and community support.
- Spotlight the Lou Gehrig legacy: connect sports heritage to modern ALS research funding
- Ribbon merchandise drops: limited-edition red/blue striped products with proceeds to ALS Association
- Employee fundraising challenges: corporate wellness tie-ins with donation matching
- Patient stories & caregiver spotlights: authentic testimonials driving awareness and support
ALS was first identified by the work of a French neurologist in 1869.
But it took a few more decades for this disease to become more well-known in the United States, which happened when the career of one of American baseball’s favorite players was ended by ALS in 1939. Even today, many people refer to ALS as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The ALS Foundation was started in 1985 and remains the only national non-profit organization dedicated to fighting on the front lines, leading the way in global research, care services, government partnerships and more. A cure for ALS continues out of reach, even after decades of research and drug trials, but the organization continues to strive to find a cure – and to make ALS livable for everyone in the process.
In 1992, the first ALS Awareness Month was officially celebrated after a declaration that was passed by a joint resolution was passed in the United States Senate declaring this as National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month. The purpose of this event is to raise public awareness about ALS, show support for those affected by it, and give recognition to those working to find a cure. Many people also got to know more about this disease through the 2014 ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” which was a fundraising scheme that also increased popular knowledge about it.
Wear an ALS Ribbon
Many people like to show support during ALS Awareness Month by wearing a special ribbon color. In the case of those who associate it with Lou Gehrig, the ribbon color is a striped blue with a nod to the New York Yankees baseball team. But the official color stated by the ALS Association is red. Some folks might choose to wear a combination of both of these to show support!