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MDA'S Wings Over Wall Street Committee Hosts Virtual Summit Honoring the Late Pat Quinn Co-Founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge on Thursday, May 20, 7-8pm ET

NEW YORK, NY – May 10, 2021

ABC Eyewitness News Anchor, Bill Ritter with co-founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the late Pat Quinn at a previous MDA’s Wings Over Wall Street Benefit for ALS Research for a cure.
ABC Eyewitness News Anchor, Bill Ritter with co-founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the late Pat Quinn at a previous MDA’s Wings Over Wall Street Benefit for ALS Research for a cure.

WHO/WHAT:

ABC Eyewitness News Anchor, Bill Ritter, will once again host the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Wings Over Wall Street benefit, this year, honoring the late Pat Quinn co-founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge, with experts from the ALS medical community and families.

This year’s event will be a thought leadership summit that will highlight the pipeline of promise for new treatments and ultimately a cure for ALS.

Watch Wings Over Wall Street Co-Founder Warren Schiffer in this video.

Guest speakers include:

  • Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, Dr. Sabrina Paganoni from Massachusetts General Hospital;
  • Dr. Sharon Hesterlee - MDA EVP, Chief Research Officer;
  • Dr. Stanley Appel - co-director of Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, chair of the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology and the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Chair in ALS at Houston Methodist Hospital, and professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College;
  • Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson from Temple University School of Medicine;
  • Dr. Gustavo Suarez Zambrano, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America;
  • Warren Schiffer, co-founder of Wing Over Wall Street; and
  • Jon Najarian from Najarian Advisors and Najarian Family Office.

This event will also include an MDA ALS Awareness Month Auction (online May 20 through June 2).

WHERE/WHEN:

Thursday, May 20, 7-8pm ET

WHY:

For over 20 years, MDA’s Wings Over Wall Street committee has been fundraising for research to Unlock the Cure for ALS.

"Not many people know that MDA started funding research into ALS with Eleanor Gehrig, wife of Lou Gehrig, back in the 1950’s. And for 70 years, our support of research and patient care in ALS has been unrelenting. Today, there is a network of MDA ALS Care Centers that criss-cross the nation where patients and families can find the most advanced care in the world. But it’s not enough. We have much more to do in finding effective treatments and one day, a cure. The more public support and awareness we can raise through our efforts in collaboration with the entire ALS community, the more progress we will make toward finding that cure,” said Donald S. Wood, PhD, President and CEO of MDA. "Until that day is reached, we will continue our efforts on behalf of the more than 30,000 people diagnosed with ALS or, as it was known 70 years ago, Lou Gehrig’s disease."

For more information on ALS and MDA’s impact:

SPONSORS:

Thank you to our presenting sponsors IEX and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America.

INTERVIEWS and BROLL:

  • Interviews with Warren Schiffer, co-founder of MDA’s Wing Over Wall Street benefit for ALS research for a cure, available upon request.
  • Broll available here.

About the Muscular Dystrophy Association

For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best-in-class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA’s COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.