2011 ALS Walk

The 2011 Walk to Defeat ALS is at hand!

ALS Research had a major breakthrough this year, as Northwestern University scientists discovered a common disease process for all of the types of ALS. This is a big step forward, and has helped researchers narrow down future studies in search of an effective treatment for ALS, and someday, a Cure. Your support has helped fund ALS Research projects like this, as well as directly helping the thousands of families affected by ALS in Georgia.

Right now, the ALS Association of Georgia is helping Melissa by providing a computer she can use just by moving her eyes.

Lots of you have supported Fiver's Team in the past, and those who have walked with us know how much fun it can be. And with the walk being in November before, you know how COLD that it can be, going out to walk that early in the morning. (Even Melissa had to wait in the car last year, until it warmed up a bit.) So this year, the Walk is moved back a weekend to Saturday, October 22nd.  Hopefully, this will make it easier for the ones who make it out to Centennial Olympic Park this year.

To kick off our Flamingo Thing this year, we hosted a "Sunday Flamingo Lounge" room party at DragonCon over Labor Day Weekend, and met up with many of our regular walkers. It was a great time for Mel to visit with everyone, as it's difficult for her to get out to see them all, and we signed a bunch of you up for the walk.

Here's how you can get involved:

(1) http://web.alsa.org/goto/flamingo2011 -- Join the Team, to raise funds and walk with us on October 22nd, or just as a "Virtual Walker" if you can't make it. You'll get your own fund-raising web page with a tidy little link (like http://web.alsa.org/goto/fiver2011") and all the materials you will need.With email, blogs and Facebook, it takes very little effort to reach hundreds of people with your message.

(2) http://web.alsa.org/goto/fiver2011 -- Make a donation to Melissa's ALS Association Team. All donations make you eligible for one free kiss from Mel. :-)

Walk to Defeat ALS - Atlanta Walk 2011

*NEW LOCATION* International Plaza, World Congress Center

- Directions + Map
- Check-in starts at 8:30 AM, Walk starts at 10 AM.

Traditional Dress for the walk is COSTUMES! Mel and her friends are costuming addicts, and this is right around Halloween, so get some extra mileage out of yours and wear it to the walk.  Or if you prefer, you can come in an official Fiver's Flamingos T-Shirt, which can be purchased at the site below:

http://shop.ProjectFiver.com (All items sold are at cost, zero profit)

That's all for now, Melissa and I will be sending out updates closer to the walk date.  So please consider supporting the ALS Association by donation or walking.

As always, it's a great time for a great cause.

Thanks,
Chris

Filming Starts on THE HOBBIT (Finally!)

Production of The Hobbit is finally set to begin today after months of delays. The two films are expected to pump around $1.5 billion into the New Zealand economy.

Friction between director Sir Peter Jackson and the New Zealand actors' union over pay and conditions delayed production last year, and Jackson's hospitalisation earlier this year pushed filming back again.

Jackson's assistant Matt Dravitzki says everyone involved is now looking forward to some action.

The Hobbit is to be shot at Jackson's studios in the Wellington suburb of Miramar and on location around New Zealand.

From TV.NZ

This is incredible news! And we have kept in contact with the production crew in New Zealand, and they are still dedicated to bringing Melissa over to be a Hobbit Extra, like they promised. So sometime later this year (most likely) Melissa will be flying halfway around the world to be part of this incredible production.

Again, I have to thank all of you who brought us to this point--who put the word out about Project Fiver and spread the Petition far and wide. Everyone's efforts added up to changing the world, just this little bit, to let Melissa have this small honor that she deserves so much. Thank all of you for all your help and love.

Kickoff for 2010 Walk to Defeat ALS

Hello all. It's time to start thinking about this year's Walk to Defeat ALS!

We've seen some promising research into ALS Treatments this year, including the Phase 1 Trials using Stem Cells:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/04/30/gupta.medical.breakthrough.cnn

While this and other treatments are still in the trial stage, we remain optomistic about future advances in the field. Your support has helped fund these and other ALS Research projects, as well as helping the thousands of families affected by ALS in Georgia.

Lots of you have supported Fiver's Team in the past, and those who have walked with us know how much fun it can be, so I know this year can be even better! How could we possibly make things better? By creating a strong Brand for the team. A supportive group of friends started up a team to run the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon (13.1 Miles), dubbing themselves "Fiver's Flamingos".  This year we are officially making that our team name as well. And to make things all official, I hired an artist to make us a great logo featuring the team mascot, Terrence the Flamingo, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

And Melissa didn't know about this. So... SURPRISE!

Now down to business. How to get involved this year:

(1) http://projectfiver.com/walk -- Join the Team, to raise funds and walk with us in November, or just as a "Virtual Walker" if you can't make it. You'll get your own fundrainsing web page (like http://web.alsa.org/goto/Fiver") and all the materials you will need.

(2) http://projectfiver.com/support -- Make a donation to Melissa's ALS Association Team. 

Walk to Defeat ALS - Atlanta Walk 2010
Centennial Olympic Park - Directions: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?sid=4350&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=6581
- Check-in starts at 8:30 AM, Walk starts at 10 AM.

Traditional Dress for the walk is COSTUMES! Mel and her friends are costuming addicts, and this is right after Halloween, so get some extra mileage out of yours and wear it to the walk.  Or if you prefer, you can come in an official Fiver's Flamingos T-Shirt, which can be purchased at cost at the site below:

http://shop.ProjectFiver.com

That's all for now, Melissa and I will be sending out updates closer to the walk date.  So please consider supporting the ALS Association by donation or walking.

It's a great time for a great cause.

Thanks,
Chris

Fiver's Flamingos - 2010 Marathon Video

Flamingo Janine just provided us a great video of the Fiver's Flamingos team running the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon earlier this year! Thanks to all the runners on the team for their support.

"Fiver's Flamingos" Conquer Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon

(From the Fiver's Flamingos team captain, Janine Garner)
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We raised over $2,600 for alsaga.org! :)

Many thanks to those of you who donated.

For those of you who would still like to, it's not too late to donate! You still can! :)

~~~~~~

Well, I guess the Flamingo is out of the bag... we did have a Flamingo run with us, hehehehe.

Everyone yelled "GO FLAMINGO" as she ran by. Apparently a giant pink flamingo in the race was both unexpected and quite popular. :)

The race itself was a BLAST. We all started out as a group & ended as a group & got several pictures together throughout the race. As the race progressed we broke out into smaller groups of people with similar paces and then met up at the end and crossed the finish line together. It was AWESOME!

That said, we could NEVER have done it without our support crew, Ron, Christina, Sarah (THE GODDESS OF SPORTS MASSAGES!), and Jess' family. You guys are AWESOME!

(from left to right) Tree, Jess, Amber, Jenn, Caitlin, Ivana, Conley, and our Flamingo (Janine)

 ( more pics here )
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So a big thanks goes out to the Fiver's Flamingos Marathon Team. Looks like everyone had a great time, and raised money for a great cause. Again, the ALS Association of Georgia does so much for us and for others suffering from ALS, they really are a lifesaver.

Fiver's Flamingos - Marathon for ALS

For those of you who don't know, some of Mel's friends did something amazing last year, and they are continuing it this weekend. I'll let Janine's telling of it stand, since I can't improve upon it:

So 4 of us did something spur of the moment in 2009, when we got together to run the Disney Princess ½ Marathon (13.1 miles) at Disney World. We made team jerseys with iron on letters, and dubbed ourselves “Fiver’s Flamingos” in honor of Mel, who loves both Flamingos and Disney more than anyone we know.



This year, we have teamed up with The ALS Association of Georgia to help raise some money to find both a cure and treatments for ALS, as we run the Disney Princess ½ Marathon again in March 2010.

Please, if you don’t mind, would you donate 1$ for every mile we are running? That would be 13.1 miles for $13.10. And even if all you have is $1 total, every little bit helps. Just click on the button, you don’t even need a paypal account to donate, just a credit card. 100% of your donation (minus the small fee paypal takes) goes to the ALS Association of Georgia. Not one penny goes towards administering this group or paying race fees, etc.

Donate via PayPal

The ladies run this weekend, so if you are able, why don't you *ahem* PONY... UP... the $13 and change, for a good cause?

Walk to Defeat ALS 2009

Fiver's Team, the time is at hand! Again! This Saturday, November 14th, is the Walk to Defeat ALS. We're a little smaller this year, but we will still have a big turnout and a great time.

Walkers registered before last week should have received a packet with maps and other information. Most of it is located in this document here.

- Parking: Loads of lots will let you park daily for $8, our pal Olivia suggests the following lot, which is halfway between the Park and our lunch location:

Coming south on Peachtree St, pass Peachtree Ctr. After Woodruff Park (on left), turn right onto Marietta Street (it's Decatur St on the left here so don't let that confuse anyone). Go to Cone Street (Georgia Bar Association office is on left here); there is a parking garage on the near right corner that charges $5 for the "early bird" - getting in by 9 am will get you this rate. If you turn right onto Cone St and go to Walton Street, there is a little lot on the far left corner that charges $5 a day.

- Registration starts at 8:30 AM at the Southern Company Amphitheater. FIVER'S TEAM will be meeting by the Olympic Fountains at 9:00. Just look for the Hobbits, Superheroes and a group dressed like the cast of M*A*S*H. The "Father Mulcahy" will be our church Pastor. (Another of Mel's "Dying Wish" series. LOL) If anyone has a chance to make a Sign saying "Fiver's Team", or any other catchy phrase, like "Make ALS Walk The Plank!" Slogans that go with your costumes are great as well.

- There will be some musical acts performing at the Amphitheater until the Opening Ceremonies at 9:30. The walk starts at 10 AM

- Water, Pepsi, Powerade and snacks will be provided before, during and after the walk. Public Restrooms are located around the park

We'll see you all at the Walk on Saturday! This was an awesome time last year, as anyone there will tell you, and this year will be just as much fun.