The Champions for Cures and Care Awards Gala brought together friends, partners, and longtime supporters for an evening that felt both celebratory and deeply meaningful. Guests gathered to honor this year’s Essey Award recipients and recognize the individuals and organizations whose leadership and generosity continue to move ALS care, research, and advocacy forward.

One of the most special moments of the evening was the announcement of the C. Dean Rasmussen Legacy Society. This giving society honors those who have chosen to include the ALS Network in their estate plans, ensuring their commitment to the ALS community lives on.

Becoming a member of the Legacy Society is a powerful way to honor someone you love, reflect your values, and strengthen the future of ALS care and research. Members are recognized for their commitment and welcomed into a community of dedicated supporters who believe in building lasting impact.

If you would like to learn more about the C. Dean Rasmussen Legacy Society, we invite you to download our legacy giving brochure and explore the many ways you can create an enduring legacy.

View more information about the C. Dean Rasmussen Legacy Society

Actor Eric Dane, known for Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, shared a life-changing diagnosis in April 2025: he has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). While facing the challenges of this progressive disease, Dane has transformed his personal journey into a platform for awareness, support, and advocacy.

Despite the physical effects of ALS, Eric continues to pursue his passion for acting. In late 2025, he guest-starred on the NBC drama Brilliant Minds, portraying a character living with ALS, a role enriched by his own experience. Through storytelling, he brings authenticity to the screen while raising public understanding of life with ALS.

Beyond acting, Eric has emerged as a powerful voice for the ALS community. In September 2025, the ALS Network honored him as Advocate of the Year, recognizing his efforts to shine a light on the realities of ALS and the urgent need for research and resources. Though ALS prevented him from attending the ALS Network’s Champions for Cures and Care Gala in January 2026, his message resonates: advocacy can make a difference.

Dane’s story reminds us that even in the face of ALS, individuals can inspire, educate, and create meaningful impact. By speaking openly about his journey, he not only raises awareness but also encourages families, caregivers, and people living with ALS to connect, share, and support one another. Through his courage and advocacy, Eric demonstrates the power of turning personal challenge into community strength.

Eric’s decision to speak openly about his diagnosis reflects the power of advocacy to create change. At the ALS Network, advocacy extends beyond awareness. It includes advancing legislation that protects access to care, securing funding for research, and ensuring the voices of people living with ALS and their families are heard at every level. Together, these efforts strengthen the ALS community and move progress forward.

Download our Advocacy brochure to learn how the ALS Network is working to drive meaningful change.

For more than a decade, ALS ONE and the ALS Network have each driven meaningful progress for people living with ALS.

ALS ONE has focused on funding research and care initiatives in Massachusetts, partnering with institutions like the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS to advance clinical trials and support families. The ALS Network has expanded access to care nationwide, building programs that connect patients and caregivers with resources, technology, and advocacy while also funding research that moves discoveries from the lab to the clinic more quickly.

Now, the two organizations are joining forces in a strategic integration designed to bring that work to an even larger scale. By combining ALS ONE’s long-standing research partnerships and Massachusetts focus with the ALS Network’s national infrastructure and technology-driven initiatives, the integration will expand opportunities for funding, collaboration, and patient support.

“This moment marks a real inflection point for the ALS community,” said Sheri Strahl, president and CEO of the ALS Network. “By bringing ALS ONE and the ALS Network together, we are pairing urgency with innovation, expanding access to care, accelerating research, and using technology in smarter ways, so that people living with ALS see progress sooner and feel the impact faster.”

Researchers and clinicians see immediate benefit. Merit Cudkowicz, director of The Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, said, “Partnering with ALS ONE over the past decade has been transformational. Through this integration, the original mission and vision of ALS ONE will continue, while opening new opportunities for research and patient support across the country.”

James Berry highlighted the benefits of collaboration. “By building on the strong foundation created by ALS ONE, we have the potential to transform how we advance research, expand access, and serve the ALS community nationwide,” he said.

Governance will reflect this shared mission. ALS ONE Board Members Mark Sullivan and Scott Gosnell will join the ALS Network Board of Directors, with Michael Braun serving as an advisory trustee, ensuring that ALS ONE’s priorities remain central during the integration, which is expected to conclude in 2026.

To see the impact of the ALS Network in recent years, download our 2025 infographic, which highlights research breakthroughs, care programs, and the support provided to families. While the infographic reflects the organizations’ work prior to this new partnership, it offers a clear snapshot of the progress made possible by dedicated supporters and collaborators.

Together, the ALS Network and ALS ONE are building a stronger, more connected ALS community, one where research moves faster, care reaches more people, and families feel the impact of progress today.

Learn more about the research we fund and the advances made possible by our supporters by downloading our Global Research Infographic here.