Image of people shaking hands on a baseball field

We’re observing Lou Gehrig Day on Sunday, June 2nd, 2024.

The year was 1939. Lou Gehrig, star player for the New York Yankees, stood in front of 62,000 fans and delivered one of the most poignant speeches in the history of sports.

“For the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” The Iron Horse held back tears as he addressed the crowd at Yankee Stadium after being forced to retire from baseball two weeks prior due to his fatal diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

He died two years later, days short of his 38th birthday.

Today, Gehrig remains an inspiration and is a source of strength, humility and courage to many people facing the devastation of an ALS diagnosis.

In early 2021 following grassroots efforts by the ALS community that resulted in support from all Major League Baseball teams, the MLB announced that it will be recognizing Lou Gehrig Day every year on June 2, starting in 2021 – exactly 80 years after his death. It’s a fitting start to ALS Awareness month in Canada each year.

Today, there is still no cure – but there are more therapies than ever in the pipeline and organizations like the ALS Society of Canada and many others that provide services and support, fund research, and advocate for change to the status quo.  Read on to learn how you can join us in recognizing Lou Gehrig Day!

Show your support!

On Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

Fundraise

Logo for Walk to End ALS

Support your local Walk to End ALS

ALS doesn’t stop, so neither will we! Walks take place throughout the month of June. Register, fundraise, or donate today!

Icon representing fundraising activities

Create your own fundraising event

Put the fun in fundraising! Support national research, federal advocacy and community-based support within Ontario by rallying your family and friends to give.

The ALS Society of Canada invests in best-in-class ALS research, advocates federally and within Ontario for the needs of the ALS community and provides support and services to people in Ontario affected by ALS to ease the burden of the disease through navigation assistance, support groups, advocacy and equipment loans.

Thank you to the ALS Society of Quebec from whose website the introductory content is adapted, and for the eyeblack inspiration!