CVS/pharmacy kicks off annual ALS fundraising campaign

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy kicked off on June 5 its 10th annual in-store "Researching a Cure" fundraising campaign to support the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Funds raised through the campaign benefit the ALS Therapy Alliance, an organization dedicated to advancing ALS research. Through the Researching a Cure campaign, CVS/pharmacy has raised more than $23 million in its stores and online to fund new clinical research with the aim of discovering a treatment or cure for ALS. The 2011 campaign will run through June 25.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by progressive degeneration of motor nerves in the brain and spinal cord, typically leading to paralysis and death within four to six years. There is no known cause or cure for ALS, which affects approximately 25,000 Americans, with 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

In addition to the in-store fundraising campaign, CVS/pharmacy will work with campaign co-chairs — Treg Charlton, a regional director of real estate for CVS Caremark, and Barry Winovich, Charlton's lifelong friend — who are living with ALS, to raise awareness about the disease. Both will join celebrity sponsors — former NFL player Kevin Turner, who also has ALS, and country music star Ty Herndon — as representatives to educate the public through in-store videos and events and by sharing their own personal stories. Herndon's inspirational "Journey On," the official song for Turner's nonprofit ALS organization, The Kevin Turner Foundation, will prominently be featured in this year's campaign.

Charlton, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was diagnosed with ALS in March 2010. Using the Researching a Cure campaign as a platform, Charlton has become an inspiration to others living with ALS.

Winovich, also of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has battled ALS since 2006. Winovich joins Charlton, a close friend since grade school, as co-chair of the Researching a Cure campaign. Winovich is the founder of the Bright Side of the Road Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding scientific research into the cause of and cure for ALS.

Each year, CVS Caremark EVP Jon Roberts, who lost his wife to ALS, serves as honorary chair of the Researching a Cure campaign because of his personal connection to the disease.

"I know how difficult it can be to fight this terrible disease, and I'm amazed by Treg, Barry and Kevin's courage and commitment to fundraising for ALS research. The stories of these young men have an impact on all of us at CVS/pharmacy, our customers and especially those living with ALS. I want to thank them and Ty Herndon for creating awareness of ALS and motivating CVS/pharmacy customers to donate to this very important campaign," Roberts said.