Welcome to the Omega West Province of Phi Delta Theta team fundraising page for Live Like Lou!

Our team is made up of Phis from all over who now live in Arizona and want to leave ALS better than we found it!

When someone is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, they are given a very short time to live... on average, two-to-four years. They learn that their ability to walk, talk, feed themselves, swallow, and ultimately breathe will end. They learn that there is no effective treatment. There is no cure. And they face an excruciating financial burden—one that often leaves families (and especially their children!) at a disadvantage for decades.

We want to do something about it! Since 2021, Phi Delta Theta chapters in Arizona have joined Valley of the Sun Alumni Club members to fund ALS research programs through the Live Like Lou Foundation.

May 2023

Live Like Lou is proud to be a sponsor of the Arturo Falaschi Conference on TDP-43 function and dysfunction in disease taking place in Trieste, Italy, from September 6-8, 2023. Arizona Phi Delts have committed to raising $15,000 to fully fund Live Like Lou's support of this conference in sponsoring Live Like Lou emerging ALS investigators to attend with support for expenses including registration, hotel, and/or airfare. The total investment in this unique opportunity to expand Live Like Lou's cadre of emerging ALS investigators is $15,000.

As part of our vision to leave ALS better than we found it, Live Like Lou invests in researchers and institutions that will lead to tomorrow’s clinical trials, treatments, and cures for ALS. We believe that attracting and retaining ALS researchers and scientists is a critical piece of this investment. We do this by supporting researchers at critical points in their careers through a variety of grants and fellowship programs.

During this conference, key members of Live Like Lou’s Scientific Research Committee are serving as scientific organizers and invited speakers, so we are certain the discussions will be vigorous and constructive. Live Like Lou is also hosting a major scientific session at the conference where Live Like Lou researchers’ work will be highlighted.

How can you help?

Live Like Lou is offering travel grants to offset travel and accommodation fees to ensure researchers will be there in force to help move the conversation forward. These investments will help ensure Live Like Lou researchers remain at the forefront of ALS discovery.

What is TDP-43?

Referred to as a central player in ALS, TDP-43 bridges the divide between sporadic and familial ALS and remains a dominant protein of interest to understand disease pathogenesis.

Read more about our ongoing research here, here, and here!

Our Impact

In just three years, Live Like Lou has awarded over $1 million to emerging ALS researchers… and we’re just getting started.
We continue to sponsor the Live Like Lou Collaborative Learning Series, consisting of a series of in-person and virtual forums where emerging ALS researchers come together to share research, discuss ideas, and network with one another.
Learn more about our research, programs, and our story here.

When we invest in science, we advance discovery, getting us closer to answers with every dollar we spend. ALS is not incurable. ALS is underfunded.

Thank you for helping us leave ALS better than we found it.

2021 - 2022

We set a goal to raise $50,000 to sponsor a Live Like Lou Career Development Award. The Career Development Award is our mechanism to keep emerging scientific researchers involved in the discovery and innovation process to fight against—and find treatments and cures for—this devastating disease! Please consider joining our team, supporting our team through a donation, or supporting one of our team members. As of December 31, 2022, we raised $48,734 toward our $50,000 goal.

We thank you for your support, and we appreciate your generosity in helping us achieve our goals. You can track our team’s progress by revisiting this page for an up-to-date look at where we stand in our fundraising goals.

About the Live Like Lou Foundation
The Live Like Lou Foundation was established in 2017 as a national nonprofit with a vision to leave ALS better than we found it. Named in honor of MLB Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Live Like Lou supports ALS families, funds emerging researchers seeking meaningful treatments and cures for ALS, and helps generate awareness of Lou Gehrig’s disease. In the face of his ALS diagnosis, Lou Gehrig continued to live his life with courage, determination, and gratitude... this is what we mean when we say, Live Like Lou.

In Lou’s memory, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity members have served more than 300 ALS families through Live Like Lou. Learn more about the Live Like Lou Foundation on our website at livelikelou.org.

Omega West Phi Delta Theta

By Live Like Lou Foundation

Omega West Phi Delta Theta

Thank you for helping Live Like Lou leave ALS better than we found it!