Tri-State Trek for ALS coming to Greater New Haven

WEST HAVEN – On July 23, about 275 cyclists from across the country will stop at the University of New Haven for the second overnight of their annual three-day Tri-State Trek to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.


The ninth annual trek starts outside Boston July 22, and continues for 270 miles finishing July 24 in Greenwich.

Funds raised through the Tri-State Trek will support research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass.

For information on riding or volunteering, or to learn where to cheer along the route, visit the trek online at www.NeedMoreCowbell.org.

The Tri-State Trek began in 2003, when 16 riders cycled from Newton, Mass., to White Plains, N.Y., and raised about $30,000 for ALS research. In 2006, in an effort to bolster spectator support, the event launched its “More Cowbell” campaign.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. There is no known cause, nor an effective treatment for the disease.
About 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year. The average patient survives only two to five years following diagnosis. There are about 30,000 U.S. citizens with the disease at any given time. The worldwide population of ALS patients is estimated at 400,000.