The Future of ALSA in South Carolina
A letter and Q&A from Jerry Dawson, President, The Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter (JCHC)
Dear Friends,
I am writing to inform you of the very exciting changes that are taking place for The ALS Association (ALSA) and people with ALS (PALS) in North and South Carolina. A new effort which began in April of 2005 is now a reality. I am proud to report that South Carolina has been approved as the 10th ALSA Chapter in Organization (CIO).
Recent Developments
As many of you know, The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter “adopted” South Carolina about 5 years ago because there were few services in the area. We have always known that PALS in both South Carolina and North Carolina would be better served by having individual Chapters in each state. We have been blessed to have wonderful and committed support group leaders in Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Lancaster helping to provide critical services in the Palmetto state. However, until recently, we have not had the level of support necessary to sustain a new Chapter.
Timeline
Hopefully the following timeline will bring everyone up to speed on where we have been, where we are now and where we hope to go.
| 1987 | June Thompson founded The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter to provide services and resources for ALS patients and families in North Carolina. | |
| 2000 | Due to the increasing number of requests from PALS in South Carolina, the Chapter expanded services to include South Carolina and became known as The Carolinas Chapter. The Chapter instantly became one of the largest Chapters in the U.S. in terms of area served. | |
| 2002 | We changed our name again, this time to honor the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish” Hunter and to help raise more awareness for our cause (Catfish Hunter died from complications of ALS in 1999). The Catfish Chapter has continued to serve all PALS in the Carolinas to this day. | |
| 2005 | (April 21) | Began working with a few people in the Charleston area to start a new ALS support group and held an open meeting to talk about the group in Mount Pleasant. Christina Robertson attended the meeting. Her father, Retired Brigadier General Thomas Mikolajcik (pronounced Mick-o-lie-chick) had been diagnosed with ALS and she wanted to become more involved. |
| (May-July) | With help from Christina, her father and newcomer Bill Ennis, we rallied support from many interested people to start an ALSA Chapter in the Palmetto state. | |
| (July 28) | Organizing Committee meeting held in Mount Pleasant with representatives from all over South Carolina. | |
| (Aug-Sept) | Conference calls, meetings and planning for open meetings in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville to build support for the new SC CIO. | |
| (Sept 20) | Open meeting held in Charleston. | |
| (Nov 1) | New board formed and elections were held. Paul Hollen (Executive Vice President, Southcoast Community Bank) was elected as Board Chair. One of the instrumental leaders, Sherril Porterfield, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Roger C. Peace Rehab Hospital, Greenville, SC was elected to serve as the Patient Services Chair. Sherril has been the Greenville, SC Support Group facilitator for over 13 years. | |
| (Nov 14) | Open meeting held in Columbia (Governor Mark Sanford attended and pledged his support. He was just a junior in high school when his father was diagnosed with ALS.) | |
| (Nov 15) | Open meeting held in Greenville. | |
| (Nov 14-15) | Interviews held for the executive director position of the proposed new South Carolina Chapter in Organization (SC CIO). | |
| (Nov-Dec) | Board of directors named and fundraising underway for the proposed New SC CIO. | |
| (Jan 30) | SC receives official CIO status. | |
What to Expect
Now that you understand where we’ve been, let me tell you where we are now and what’s next. The new SC Board of Directors have already raised over $100,000. I have met every member of the board of directors; they are eager, passionate, committed and determined leaders. I am confident that the new SC CIO will be a strong organization and will serve PALS well.
To help answer any further questions that you might have, I have included a short Q & A below. Thank you for your time and support as we build a stronger more effective ALSA in the Carolinas.
Together for a cure,
| Jerry Dawson |
| President |
| The ALS Association |
| Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter |
- What services can I expect from the new South Carolina Chapter in Organization (SC CIO)? The new SC CIO will continue to offer the same services PALS have come to rely on (respite care, augmentative communication and transportation grant programs along with support groups and a loan closet).
- Will the new SC CIO have help moving forward? Yes, the Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter will work with the ALSA National office to mentor and provide ongoing support. Additionally the Catfish Chapter will provide a gift of $20,000 to help ensure a great start.
- How do I participate in the Walk to D’Feet ALS? The Catfish Chapter will be helping the new SC CIO until they can take over; meaning that we will lead the planning of the Upstate SC Walk (at Furman University) on April 8, 2006. This will be a training walk for the SC CIO. You can register online by clicking here. Please note that all funds will benefit the new SC CIO but the Catfish Chapter will be handling all processing. For questions please contact Jamie Ebert toll free at 1-877-568-4347 or by email Jamie@CatfishChapter.org.
- Where will the new South Carolina Chapter in Organization be located? This has not been determined yet but we will make an announcement once a decision has been made. Currently the mailing address is:
| The ALS Association - SC Chapter in Organization | |
| PO Box 280 | |
| Charleston, SC 29402 | |
| 866- 492-4821 (Toll Free) | |
| 843-971-0933 (Local) |
- When should we start calling the new South Carolina Chapter in Organization? After February 1st you should contact the SC CIO for support.
| 866- 492-4821 (Toll Free) | |
| 843-971-0933 (Local) |
