A Community Flexes Its Collective Muscle on Behalf of Those Who Can’t

Feb. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- Nearly 70 years ago, baseball legend Lou Gehrig gave a recognizable face to one of the sneakiest diseases of our time – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.  ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It’s sneaky because its symptoms are often overlooked as mere fatigue, simple cramping, even clumsiness. According to the ALS Association (http://www.alsa.org), approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and an estimated 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. The most common symptoms are difficulty swallowing; slurred speech; and twitching and cramping, especially in the hands and feet; but its hallmark telltale sign is profound muscle weakness, occurring in more than 60 percent of patients. ALS is deadly – once diagnosed, the average life expectancy is 2-5 years. Currently, there is no cure.

But one northern Virginia community is out to change that. Dulles South is a subset of Loudoun County, which in 2010 was deemed the wealthiest community in the United States by Forbes Magazine (http://www.forbes.com). Its residents consist primarily of professional families with young children. To serve those families, Dulles South Youth Sports (http://www.currys-dsys5k.com; http://www.dullesyouth.com), which offers boys and girls ages 5-16 a chance to flex their muscles in a fun yet competitive sporting environment, was formed in 2007. And on March 19, DSYS is organizing its 1st Annual 5k and Fun Run for ALS Research. Proceeds will benefit the world-renowned University of Pittsburgh Center for ALS Research and the DSYS field and scholarship fund. Curry’s Auto Service (http://www.currysauto.com), one of the business cornerstones of the Dulles South region, is the co-organizer and primary sponsor.

“DSYS encourages our area’s children to get up and move their bodies, to be engaged in the community through sports,” says Debbie Bouchard, DSYS president. “As we were planning what we could do to help raise money and awareness for ALS, we thought ‘what better way than to encourage our residents to use their muscles on behalf of those who can’t.’ The 5k and Fun Run was born.”

The festivities will kick off at 8:00 a.m. on March 19, 2011, in South Riding, Virginia. The registration fee for the timed 5k is $25 until February 18, $30 until March 18, and $35 day of race. The Fun Run is $10. Monetary awards, sponsor goody bags, trophies, prizes, and t-shirts are all part of the day’s excitement.

Visit http://www.currys-dsys5k.com today for registration, a course map, and information about how you can contribute to this worthy cause even if you can’t participate. And check out the latest news, race details, sponsors and more at our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Currys-Auto-Service-DSYS-5k-for-ALS-Research/192380884106134.

Remember, ALS strikes without warning and it strikes hard. Let’s win the race to stop it in its tracks.

# # #

Dulles South Youth Sports Inc., a local non-profit organization, is aimed at developing the character of tomorrow’s leaders by promoting physical activity, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership and respect for others. It offers fun and competitive football, wrestling, cheerleading, lacrosse, volleyball, and track/cross-country programs to the area’s children. Learn more at http://www.dullesyouth.com

With six convenient Northern Virginia locations, Curry's Auto Service is legendary for providing the best full service auto care in the greater Washington, DC metro region. Curry’s specializes in foreign and domestic cars, including Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Curry’s is also the Exclusive TIRE PROS dealer in the area. Learn more at http://www.currysauto.com.