Philadelphia Rallies for Native Rower

Focused Rowing Efforts & New Film Support Crucial ALS Research

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May 20, 2014, 02:55 ET

CHONSHOHOKEN, Pa., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For the next six months, Philadelphia will play host to another revolution, when the city's rowers come out in force to benefit Project A.L.S. Led by Carol Kleiner, a Philadelphia area native who was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, the newly formed Carol's Crew will raise awareness and significant support for stem cell research, drug screening, and basic research efforts managed by the non-profit Project A.L.S.

Ms. Kleiner, a rower, wife and mother of three, was diagnosed with ALS last year. In response she started Carol's Crew, which gathers rowers from the Whitemarsh Boat Club (WBC) and the Hines Rowing Center, among others, to raise funds for Project A.L.S. research, which aims to identify the first effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for ALS.

In addition to rowing events, the short film Carol's Crew, which charts Ms. Kleiner's enduring love of the sport in spite of her illness, premieres this month.

"I hope that people will listen to my story, and be motivated to row for me...and with me," said Kleiner, a founding member of WBC.

Carol's Crew launches its fundraising efforts in May, ALS Awareness Month, when WBC and local boathouses gather member pledges based on distance rowed. On July 19, Carol's Crew and WBC host a rowing marathon and barbecue. Events will culminate on November 1, with a cocktail party and auction at the Fairmount Rowing Club on famed Boathouse Row. For more information on these events, or donate directly to Carol's Crew please visit www.carolscrew.com, or call Erin Fleming at Project A.L.S., 212-420-7382.

Project A.L.S.™ is a non-profit 501(c)3 devoted to understanding, treating, and ultimately curing ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Founded in 1998 by Jenifer Estess, her family and friends, Project A.L.S. has become the new paradigm for brain disease research. ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that, combined with the closely related Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, is a 21st century epidemic. In ten years 1 in 25 Americans will be affected with a neurodegenerative disease. www.projectals.org.

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nBZEcxCQ18&feature=youtu.be

SOURCE Project A.L.S.