Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Despite his diagnosis and battle with the disease, Gehrig faced it with courage, humility and gratitude. It was on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, when the longtime Yankee first baseman uttered the famous words at a home plate ceremony at Yankee Stadium: “For the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

Lou Gehrig was not only a legendary New York Yankee, but he was also a Brother in the Bond of Phi Delta Theta.

In January 2018, Phi Delta Theta announced that it has taken a significant step to broaden its reach and deepen its impact on the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the devastating disease named for Brother Lou Gehrig, baseball’s “Iron Man.” Through the launch of the LiveLikeLou Foundation, a stand-alone 501c3 not-for-profit entity with a national scope, Phi Delta Theta is mobilizing its members to ‘Leave ALS Better Than They Found It.’

Neil and Suzanne Alexander established LiveLikeLou in 2011 when Neil, a University of Pittsburgh Phi Delt, was diagnosed with ALS. Originally established as a grassroots fund within The Pittsburgh Foundation, LiveLikeLou quickly became a leading entity in the fight against ALS in Western Pennsylvania, creating awareness of ALS, assisting families in the community, and fulfilling a $2.5 million pledge to build The LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, a $10 million partnership between LiveLikeLou and the University of Pittsburgh.

Phi Delta Theta’s desire to further enhance and focus its commitment to the fight against ALS led the two entities to begin conversations. Together, Phi Delta Theta’s long-standing commitment to have a meaningful impact on the disease, coupled with LiveLikeLou’s successful model of advancing the ALS cause forward, have the ability to further drive Phi Delta Theta’s leadership in finding a cure.

In mid-October 2018, a new www.livelikelou.org fundraising website was launched, including the ability for any individual, team, or event to utilize online tools to raise funds for The LiveLikeLou Foundation.

Learn more about our official philanthropy efforts and how you can get involved:

• The LiveLikeLou Foundation
  livelikelou.org

• Become an Iron Phi
  ironphi.org

• Phi Delta Theta – Philanthropy & Community Service
  phideltatheta.org

#Onward