During the 2009 Buffalo Bills season, Greatbatch teamed up with the ALS Association, the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Trent Edwards to create a program to help people with ALS.
Throughout the football season, the ALS raised more than $20,000. Bills fans contributed approximately $5,000, while corporate partner, Greatbatch, very generously donated $15,000 to the ALS Association. A check was presented at the end of the season to Katharine Loomis from the ALS Association by Trent Edwards and Thomas J. Hook, CEO of Greatbatch Incorporated.
"I'm pleased to partner with the ALS Association and to be part of the efforts that improve quality of life for individuals and families coping with ALS, while creating awareness and supporting research for a cure," Edwards said.
Edwards' passion for helping The Association fight ALS stems from his own very personal connection with the disease. While attending Los Gatos High School in Calif., Edwards played for Charlie Wedemeyer, who was diagnosed with ALS in 1977 and continues to coach today. His life story was chronicled in the PBS documentary "One More Season" and the movie "Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story." Wedemeyer is helped by the Greater Bay Area Chapter of The Association.
The ALS Association was very thankful to Edwards, Hook and Greatbatch, and everyone that made the program a success. The monies raised go to support numerous free services and programs provided to people with ALS and their families.
The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. Additional information about the program can be found at www.alsaupstateny.org.
Greatbatch, Inc. (NYSE: GB) provides critical technologies to industries that depend on reliable, long lasting performance through its brands Greatbatch Medical and Electrochem. Greatbatch Medical develops and manufactures vital technologies used in medical devices for the cardiac rhythm management, neuromodulation, vascular access and orthopaedic markets. Electrochem is a world leader in the design and manufacture of battery and wireless sensing technology solutions for industrial applications. For additional information on Greatbatch, visit www.greatbatch.com.
