NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

ALS Association -- Orange County Chapter To Hold 'Drive Out ALS' Golf Tournament Tuesday, May 24, 2005

ORANGE, Calif., March 30, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The ALS Association -- Orange County Chapter will host its second annual "Drive Out ALS" golf tournament on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo. The tournament will honor George Yardley, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame star, who died of ALS in 2004.

The "Drive Out ALS" tournament was started in 2004 by a group of community volunteers brought together to help their friend, former Mission Viejo resident Doug Ousterman, and others like him, fight this disease. Ousterman was diagnosed with ALS in 2003 at age 40. This year The ALS Association -- Orange County Chapter and the Yardley family have partnered to raise funds for patients battling ALS.

"This tournament is an important event for us," said Carol Burby, Executive Director. "In addition to raising awareness about ALS, we are pleased to honor George Yardley and his many contributions to the world of sports and the Orange County community."

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells, slowly paralyzing the patient while the mind usually remains unaffected. ALS is a fatal disease and life expectancy is two to five years after diagnosis. Although many people think ALS is a rare disease, every 90 minutes another person is diagnosed, and every 90 minutes someone in the United States dies from this disease.

The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The mission of the Orange County Chapter is to improve the quality of life for persons with ALS, while substantially contributing to the National ALS Association's research effort to find a cure.

The tournament is sponsored by Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa, the Los Angeles Lakers, Irvine BMW, Jillio Court Reporters, Robertson's, and Dodge, Warren & Peters. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. The cost to enter the tournament is $1500 for a foursome and $400 for a single player. All proceeds from the tournament will fund vital patient and caregiver programs for Orange County ALS patients, as well as supporting research to find a cure. For more information contact the Chapter office at 714-938-1080.

CONTACT:  The ALS Association -- Orange County Chapter 
          Carol Burby 
          Executive Director
          714-938-1080
          cburby@alsaoc.org
          www.alsaoc.org