Swish Pro-Am Basketball Recognizes ALS Association, Sat., July 23rd

The ALS Association in San Diego will be recognized on Saturday, July 23, with an “ALS Awareness Day” celebration by the San Diego Swish ProAm League, a 16-team, seven-week summer basketball league featuring high-caliber professional and college players from top Southern California colleges, universities and high schools, including players from San Diego State University, University of California San Diego and University of San Diego.

The league is a showcase for agents, scouts and coaches to observe players under high-level game conditions. This season, Swish League games are played at La Jolla Country Day School, 9490 Genesee Ave, La Jolla.

On July 23, the ALS Association will be featured throughout the games scheduled to start at noon. The public is invited to attend. Admission is free. Some fans in attendance will receive a free “Athletes vs. ALS” t-shirt. Also, fans will be invited to participate in a free-throw contest.

Retired San Diego State University basketball coach Steve Fisher is scheduled to appear at the request of the ALS Association. Fisher’s son Mark, who serves in a basketball coaching role at San Diego State University, was diagnosed with ALS in 2011.

“Our family is honored to support the ALS Association and we’re grateful to the Swish League for their support,” said Steve Fisher. “Exposure about the services provided to our son Mark and many other families will help sustain hope and accelerate the research and development of treatments and ultimately a cure for ALS. Thanks to everyone for helping create a world without ALS.”

“We’re excited to host Coach Fisher and proud to contribute our support to the ALS Association,” said Kwaku Amoaku, Swish League commissioner. “The Swish League is about bringing the community together to see exciting hoops activity.”

“This is our fourth season for the Swish League,” said Mike Howell, Swish League vice commissioner. “The `Athletes vs. ALS’ team has been an incredible success to represent the new movement. I’m very proud to be able to support the ALS Association.”

“We’re very grateful for the support by everyone at Swish to create awareness for ALS, which helps the people, families, and caregivers affected by this progressive and terminal disease that takes away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, eat and breathe,” said Steve Becvar, vice president of sports and entertainment, ALS Association. “Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes someone loses their battle to this fatal disease. Together and by teaming up, we’re going to create a world without ALS.”

The ALS Association in San Diego provides programs, services and services to local families living with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain and the spinal cord. There is no cure, cause or no life-prolonging treatments for ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the New York Yankee baseball player who passed away from ALS at age 37 in 1941. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which usually leads to total paralysis. Life expectancy for a person with ALS is within two to five years of diagnosis of initial symptoms. For more information about the ALS Association in San Diego, visit www.alsasd.org.