Commemorative lighting of CN Tower, candle lightings on Parliament Hill, Halifax Waterfront in June

June 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Markham, ON, June 1, 2012 – Special events at Toronto’s CN Tower, on Parliament Hill and on the Halifax Waterfront will mark the start of ALS Awareness Month (June) in Canada.  

From sunset on June 4 until sunrise on June 5, Toronto’s CN Tower will be bathed in purple, black and white – the official colours of the ALS Society of Canada – to coincide with a candlelight vigil organized by the ALS community. The lights will run continuously with the exception of during the CN Tower light show which will run for eight minutes at the top of every hour. At 8:30 p.m. EST on Parliament Hill, the Halifax Waterfront and in countless private homes across the country, thousands of candles will be lit in memory of those who have died from ALS and in support of the approximately 3,000 Canadians who are living with the disease.

“The ALS community and ALS Canada are very grateful for the support of the CN Tower in lighting for ALS,” said Bobbi Greenberg, director of communications, ALS Canada. “It is touching to know that all of Toronto will be able to take part in our candlelight vigil by looking at the CN Tower, along with those in Ottawa, Halifax, and across Canada; this is an amazing way to raise awareness during ALS Awareness Month and to pay tribute to those we love.”

ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease that causes the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As the nerve cells die, people with ALS lose control of their muscles, which makes breathing, eating and even smiling almost impossible. Eighty per cent of those diagnosed will die within two to five years.

The ALS Society of Canada, founded in 1977, is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS and support for those living with ALS. The Society funds research towards a cure for ALS, supports our provincial partners in the provision of quality care for those living with ALS, and provides information to build awareness about the disease.

                                                                                   -30-

For more information:

Bobbi Greenberg
Director of Communications
ALS Society of Canada
1 800 267 4257 x 208
bg@als.ca