Empowering Futures for Children Affected by ALS: State Treasurer Tobias Read and ALS Northwest Celebrate Successful Launch of Memorial Savings Scholarship
Elinore Nudelman ALS College Savings Program supports youths who have lost a parent or guardian
PORTLAND, Ore., June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It is a sad reality, and not rare: When children have a parent or guardian who suffers from the degenerative nervous system disease of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, those children are more likely to lose that parental figure.
Recognizing the profound impact of a death on families, and particularly on a child's educational aspirations, the nonprofit ALS Northwest has joined with the Oregon State Treasury to create a new scholarship program through the state-administered Oregon College Savings Plan.
Christine Acuna and Izzy Canepa of Springfield, Oregon.
Mike and Izzy Canepa.
Today, State Treasurer Tobias Read and ALS Northwest are lauding the successful launch of the Elinore Nudelman ALS College Savings Program, and the announcement of the first family to receive financial help from the fund. With the scholarship now active, the public is being invited to make tax-deductible donations to expand the compassionate program's reach.
"Education is a steppingstone to a better life, and this pioneering effort ensures that children who lose a parent or guardian to ALS don't also lose the ability to benefit from career training or college," said State Treasurer Tobias Read, whose late father suffered from ALS.
Cassy Adams, Care Services Director for ALS Northwest, said the challenge of saving for and financing education is a common struggle for many children who lose a parent or guardian to ALS. "Through the gift of education, we aim to empower the next generation with hope, opportunity, and the necessary tools for success," she said.
Since the program launched in April, four children are receiving financial help, with several more in the pipeline. The first child to participate is 12-year-old Izzy Canepa of Springfield, whose father, Michael Canepa, died of ALS in December of 2023.
"We are deeply grateful for the Elinore Nudelman ALS College Savings Program, which has been a huge relief in planning for Izzy's education," said Christine Acuna, Izzy's mother. "We are thankful to be able to secure her future with the help of ALS Northwest and believe this program will support many families to come."
The program enables children ages 17 and younger to build savings for their educational pursuits if a parent dies of ALS. Beneficiaries receive a funded account through the Oregon College Savings Plan.
The program is named after a longtime booster and benefactor of Portland State University who died in 2005. The initiative is a collaboration between her family and ALS Northwest. "This program ensures her legacy of compassion and generosity continues to impact lives," said Adams of ALS Northwest.
ALS Northwest provides support and advocacy for People with ALS and their families, while advancing research for new treatments, and an end to ALS.
The Oregon College Savings Plan is a state-sponsored higher education savings program that comes with special tax advantages and can be opened by just about anyone.
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