Team Gleason is a Recipient of the ALS Finding a Cure and the Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation Grant
NEW ORLEANS, LA – (February 28, 2023) – ALS Finding A Cure We Care (ALSFAC) and Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation announced Team Gleason Foundation is one of the Mobility for All Grant Recipients awarded in January. ALSFAC awarded grants to groups for their contributions to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) community in 2022.
The generously funded grant by Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation will directly fund Team Gleason’s portable power wheelchairs until December 2024.
“Portable power wheelchairs are one of the many mobility aids that Team Gleason provides. Requests for Team Gleason’s program services have increased by over 70% since 2020 and continue to rise. A grant of this magnitude will allow us to double the amount of portable power wheelchairs we can provide, increasing patient independence and providing a higher quality of life,” said Kearney Gay, Team Gleason Development Director. “A large part of this effort is ensuring access and inclusion for those living with ALS who are uncounted or underserved.”
In just the past year, Team Gleason has partnered with numerous manufacturers of accessible equipment and technologies to improve access to items not covered under insurance or Medicare. One of these essential items is portable power wheelchairs. This type of system is a bridge that eases the transition (and potentially lengthens it) to a full Group 3 Power Wheelchair, which most people living with ALS will ultimately need.
At various stages along an ALS journey, different pieces of mobility equipment are important for improving mobility. Portable power wheelchairs are designed with portability and convenience for users in mind, and are more compact and easier to transport than the traditional larger power wheelchairs.
“Thank you to Team Gleason for providing me with the portable power wheelchair,” said Kristine N. of Puyallup, WA, who is living with ALS. “This chair has opened up a whole new world for me. Before having this chair, I rarely left the house due to the ability to only walk short distances with my walker. Now I am able to accompany my friends and family on walks, go to stores, and enter/exit my home safely. I feel like I have been given a lot more independence. Working with Team Gleason was an amazing experience!”
About ALSFAC We Care
ALS Finding a Cure and ALSFAC We Care are programs under the Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation which is classified as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The ALSFAC We Care program is led by Denis Rizzuto, whose wife Christie had ALS. Christie — a wife, mother, and friend to many — inspired all who knew her with her warmth, internal and external beauty, and deep devotion to caring for others. In the spirit of Christie’s devotion, the We Care initiative focuses on caring for people with ALS and their family members. Additionally, all members of the ALSFAC executive committee are committed to supporting both cure research and those living with ALS today. It is the mission of ALSFAC We Care to provide grants to organizations that ensure pALS and family members receive the care they most desperately need, including financial and emotional support as well as equipment. It is our pleasure to support Team Gleason in their efforts. For additional information on ALSFAC, please visit: www.alsfindingacure.org.
About Team Gleason
Team Gleason Foundation was founded by former New Orleans Saints player, Steve Gleason, after his diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2011. Team Gleason’s mission is to improve life for people living with ALS by delivering innovative technology and equipment, as well as providing and empowering an improved life experience. For more information on how to help people living with ALS have the resources and the opportunities to not only continue living, but continue living productive, purposeful, and meaningful lives, please visit www.TeamGleason.org.
Facebook: @TeamGleason.org
Twitter: @TeamGleason
Instagram: @TeamGleason
