Benefit concert helps ALS foundation

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A cure wasn’t the only thing to sing out for at The Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall on Sunday — there was a birthday to celebrate as well.

Sing Out For A Cure co-organizer and East Lansing resident Lee Abramson coordinated the event to raise money for research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Abramson, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2005, also was the birthday boy at the benefit — though he did say that it was a purely coincidence, with this being the most convenient Sunday he and childhood music instructor Gary Lintemuth could find to plan the event. He also said he hopes this isn’t a one-time deal.

“This is the first of what I hope will be an annual event,” Abramson said. “I hope it will grow and become more of a popular event.”

The benefit concert was hosted at The Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 4700 N. Grand River Ave., in Lansing, and featured refreshments, a silent auction and, in the spirit of the day, several cakes.

The show featured six bands including Updraft, The Rule, Parted Waters, Uncle Snappy, Lady Luck and Frog & the Beeftones. Lintemuth said it was a relief the show had gone smoothly.

“It’s just the cause itself, but now that we’re started my stress level has gone down a bit,” Lintemuth said.

Frog, singer and guitarist of Frog & the Beeftones, said it wasn’t even the first time his group had played a show for ALS.

“We’re on the planet to help other people,” Frog said. “This is just part of it.” Frog also added that the cause itself is just something worth coming out for.

Amy Whipple, the Midwest regional director of the ALS Therapy Development Institute, which is the organization receiving donations from Sing Out For A Cure, said events such as these are how the institute stays on its feet.

“(Events like this) are primarily how our organization is funded — through grassroots fundraising,” Whipple said. “So events like this are absolutely critical to our research.”

ALS Therapy Development Institute is a research organization dedicated to researching ALS. All donations go directly toward research to find a way to either slow or stop what Lintemuth described as an extremely crippling disease.

“Every dollar that comes out of this organization will directly go to the ALS Therapy Development Institute,” Whipple said. “It’s really patients, families and supporters that make our research happen.”

The event offered not only a needed donation to a cause, but provided an inspirational environment for many of the guests in attendance.

“Just to see the community coming together and rallying around a person diagnosed with this devastating disease I think provides so much hope and courage,” Whipple said.

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