Wozniak, Burns call out legislature for ALS
Rep. Frank Burns August 13, 2014
HARRISBURG, Aug. 13, 2014 – Joining the viral “ice bucket challenge” to raise awareness and money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, Sen. John Wozniak and Rep. Frank Burns today had buckets of ice water dumped on their heads on the steps of the state Capitol.
“Never before has a cold head and shoulders felt so good,” Wozniak said following his drenching.
“Most of us know ALS as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but I also know it as a debilitating illness that took the lives of football great Pete ‘Diesel’ Duranko from Johnstown and my friend Bob Rybarczyk. Like all people who have suffered with ALS, Diesel Duranko and Bob were good, strong men who fought brave fights until they could fight no more,” the senator said.
Since the “ice bucket challenge” informally began last month, the ALS Association says it has raised nearly four times more money from then until now compared to the same time period last year, or about $4 million.
“We think much more will be raised throughout Pennsylvania because Sen. Wozniak and I are extending this challenge to every member of the House and Senate, the governor, the Corbett administration, and even gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf,” Rep. Burns (D-Johnstown) said.
“We want to have more folks participate in order to raise awareness and dollars to help fight this disease,” the representative said.
Even though each lawmaker today had the ice bucket dumped on them, Wozniak and Burns said they will be donating $100 to the John P. Murtha Neuroscience and Pain Institute in Johnstown to further the study of ALS and find a cure.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. And, when the motor neurons die, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control muscle movement. Patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.