Sept. 15, 2009

By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - This past Saturday the Southern Illinois baseball team participated in the ALS walk-a-thon and awareness initiative that was held at Rent One Park in Marion, Ill.

The walk-a-thon was held in honor of the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's infamous speech and to bring awareness about ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Assistant coach Tim Dixon said that it was a great event for the ballclub to participate in.

"It's important that the team understands they need to be involved in the community," Dixon said. "They need to know that there are bigger things in life and that it's not all about you. This was a great opportunity to raise awareness about ALS."

Gehrig's speech from 1939 was shown at Rent One Park and there were presentations given about ALS and its effects.

The entire Saluki baseball team did three laps around the ballpark as part of the walk-a-thon to show their support for the cause.