Clarkson University Tau Delta Kappa Fraternity Alumni and Friends and Family of Brendan Donohue Raise over $40,000 for the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter 

On Saturday June 6^, 2009 149 golfers attended the First Annual Brendan “BD” Donohue Golf Tournament to Benefit the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter held at the Links @ Erie Village in East Syracuse, New York.

The event was held to support Brendan Donohue, 1984 Clarkson University Graduate and Alumnus of Tau Delta Kappa Fraternity and his cause the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter.  Brendan was diagnosed with ALS in September of 2008.  Fellow Clarkson graduate Richard Sylvester ‘85 and member of Tau Delta Kappa Fraternity organized the event.  Included in the 149 golfers were over 80 TDK Alumni and Actives attending this year’s event.  The  $40,000 raised in this year’s event has made it one of the most successful one day fundraising events in the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter’s history.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder that attacks the nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement.  When these nerve cells die, the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement dies with them.  With all voluntary muscle movement affected, patients in the later stages of ALS are totally paralyzed.  Approximately 5,600 people in the United States are newly diagnosed with ALS each year.  At this time, there are an estimated 30,000 Americans living with the disease.  A person dies from ALS every 90 minutes. More people die from ALS than from multiple sclerosis. 

Shown below is Brendan Donohue and his wife Judy standing behind him presenting Katharine Loomis, Executive Director of the ALS Association, Upstate New York Chapter with the check for $40,000 at the conclusion of this year’s event.  The Upstate New York Chapter is dedicated to providing resources to improve the lives of individuals and families coping with ALS while creating awareness and supporting research for a cure.  The chapter covers the Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo areas of Upstate New York.