Last week, our team held a 15 minute teleseminar on ways you can easily help support our 2011 Researching a Cure fundraising campaign happening now through June 25 at CVS/pharmacy locations throughout the country and online at www.CVS.com/ALS.

100% of funds donated through this campaign supports the ALS Therapy Alliance and their ongoing research with scientists and doctors all over the world to find a cure.

How can I help?

Here are the top 16 things you can do to help support the cause and create awareness of this year's fundraising campaign:

1. 1. Visit your local CVS/pharmacy and make a donation at the register starting June 5th.

2. Donate online at www.cvs.com/als starting June 6th.

3. Send an email blast to friends and family encouraging them to spread the word and/or make a donation at their local CVS/pharmacy or online – use our interactive PDF located here...>

4. Share tweets on Twitter – we offer samples located here...>

5. Share messages on Facebook - we offer samples located here...>

6. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and RT and re-share our messages with your followers and friends

7. Put a banner ad on your website, blog or newsletter - we offer 4 sizes to choose from located here...> 

8. Print out our informational flyer and pass out or post 

9. Share our photos in a story you write for your blog or newsletter or social site

10. Include one of our PSAs on your site

11. Upload our campaign video to your site

12. Call your local radio station to see if they would interview you about your connection to ALS and mention the campaign

13. Call your local TV station and ask if they would share one of our PSAs with their audience

14. Call you local newspaper and share your connection with ALS and ask them to support the campaign by creating awareness with their readers

15. Partner with a CVS/pharmacy in your location to host an event or pass out vendor donations – contact us directly if you would like assistance setting this up

16. Show us how you supported the cause by posting a picture of yourself at your local CVS/pharmacy on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/alstherapyallianceinc

We recently created a new section on our website entitled Shop & Support. This page offers visitors a fun way to support the ALS Therapy Alliance by shopping for books, DVDs and unique gifts.

Check out Artful Vision's "Purchase with a Purpose" online gallery, which brings you American made gifts that generate a 20% donation for the ALS Therapy Alliance. Whether shopping for yourself, or looking for a gift for someone else, please visit their website for gifts that keep on giving.

SHOP NOW >> and select the ALS Therapy Alliance as your charity of choice at checkout.

Another way to offer support is by purchasing Favorite Recipes, a collection by IS for ALS. The "IS for ALS" group is a fundraising team whose goal is to promote ALS awareness, raise funds for research, and support the people affected by this devastating disease. This group consists of the entire IS QA Test Team at CVS/Caremark in Woonsocket, Rhode Island whose manager proposed starting this fund for ALS.

Favorite Recipes includes delicious recipes for Appetizers & Beverages, Soups & Salads, Vegetables & Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads & Rolls, Desserts, Cookies & Candy and more.

100% of the funds raised from sales of this book go to our Researching a Cure Campaign.

You can also shop at Amazon.com and purchase any of the selections from our recommended resource list, which includes fiction and non-fiction books as well as DVDs about ALS. A percentage of the sale benefits the ALS Therapy Alliance.

We always welcome monetary contributions, which can be given on our Donate Online Now page.

Thanks for your continued support! 

Last year, during our annual Researching a Cure fundraising campaign with CVS/pharmacy, a woman emailed me and asked:

"I would like to know what, if any, your relationship is to the national ALS Association and other organizations that are seeking the cause and cure for this devastating disease? Do you work cooperatively with any of them or are you rivals?"

She had just made a donation to the campaign at her local CVS store, and then looked us up on the Internet to learn more.

I responded that this was a great question, and one that was probably on the tips of many donors tongues. There are many organizations working to find a cure for ALS, and it is easy to get confused about who is who.

I went on to explain:

"We are not directly associated with the ALS Association or any other organizations. There are several ALS organizations, like the ALS Therapy Alliance, working and fundraising diligently to raise money to fund research for ALS.

The ALS Therapy Alliance has co-sponsored projects with Project ALS, The Angel Fund, The ALS Association and the Northeast ALS Consortium.

Our goal is to work cooperatively with all organizations fighting for the cause by sharing resources and expertise. We feel this is truly the only way a cure will be found."

Our goal through marketing and social outreach is to also create awareness of many of these organizations in addition to ours. We may seem similar, but we all have a specific niche we focus on with our fundraising techniques. Some raise funds through events, while others rely on direct mailing efforts to donors. 

The ALS Therapy partners with retail corporations, biotech and pharmaceutical firms, manufacturers and the media to create awareness of our Researching a Cure mission. We are grateful for our long standing partnership with CVS/pharmacy and the generosity of their customers who donate at the cash register every summer during our 3-week fundraising campaign.

I welcome your feedback about this topic. Please leave your comment below.

To learn more about other ALS organizations around the world, visit our Resources page.

We are excited to launch our new website and blog. Our team will be bringing you lots of information you can use to stay informed about ALS, new research, clinical trials, events, fundraising activities and lots more.

Our 2011 Researching A Cure co-spokespeople Treg Charlton & Barry Winovich, best friends from high school, will also share their journey of living with ALS and how their family is coping.

We welcome your comments and feedback and invite you to learn more about the ALS Therapy Alliance and how you can help support the Researching A Cure cause!