08-05-2025
One woman's mission to fight ALS: Lou Gehrig's Disease Baseball Classic
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Multiple varsity baseball teams around Central New York and Rochester are taking part in the strikeout Lou Gehrig's Disease Baseball Classic at NBT Bank Stadium this week.
Jolene Todd is an advocate and volunteer for the ALS Association, who is putting on the event. Her father passed away back in 2023 after his fight against ALS. They bonded over baseball, even though they were fans of rival baseball teams.
'He was a diehard Yankees fan. It was always a little battle we had because I was a Red Sox fan. We went to several Yankee-Red Sox games,' she said.
After he was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, he gave himself and his family a mission.
'It was his goal upon his diagnosis that he wanted to help the community,' Todd said. 'So, we thought the best way to do that was to raise money for the ALS Association and to help local families living with ALS.'
Helping those families through different kinds of events, like the Strikeout Lou Gehrig's Disease Baseball Classic, and getting more young people to step up to the plate.
'I think it's a great way for kids to start to become aware that this is an issue in the community,' Todd said. 'It's also for any of our young student athletes who might be going into the sciences and research, this is a field they will work towards.'
The last day of games is tomorrow, May 9. There will be a softball tournament held at the Gillette Road Softball Complex starting at 4:30 p.m.
The ALS Association will also be holding a walk on September 27 at Long Branch Park.
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