ALS Association’s free online holiday party will feature hope, inspiration and favorite Christmas tunes

San Diego CA— The ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter will present a free, live online holiday party from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16 over Facebook and the Zoom video-conferencing platform.
The party, which is open to the public, will feature a chapter update, news about 2022 events and a performance of favorite Christmas holiday music by pianist David Bluhm of San Diego. Everyone is invited to tune in over Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ALSAssociationSanDiego/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/605990723944032. A Zoom meeting link is available on Facebook.
Bluhm, a songwriter and arranger, is a 2020 Berklee College of Music graduate in songwriting with extensive experience in composition, arrangement and piano performance across all genres. He has a personal connection to ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurological disease often called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
“Join us for beautiful music, inspiring conversation and an awesome holiday experience together,” said Steve Becvar, executive director, ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in people living with ALS weakens muscles and impacts physical function. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which usually leads to total paralysis. Life expectancy for a person with ALS is within two to five years of diagnosis of initial symptoms. There is no cure, cause or no life-prolonging treatments for the disease. ALS officials said approximately 200 San Diego and Imperial county residents are currently living with ALS and have registered with the local ALS chapter.
The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated solely to fighting against ALS on every front through research, public policy and care services. The mission of the ALS Association is to find a cure for and improve the lives of people living with ALS. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, the ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.
The Greater San Diego Chapter, chartered in February 2013, is one of 39 chapters nationwide. The San Diego chapter works closely with the ALS San Diego Clinic at the University of California San Diego, which has been certified as a Center of Excellence by the national ALS organization. . All services for patients and families are provided by the ALS Chapter at no charge. In addition, the Chapter currently maintains 2,500 square feet of storage space to house ALS equipment that includes scooters, power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment provided to ALS patients and families at no charge. For more information about the ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter, visit www.alsasd.org.