PATCHOGUE, NY – MARCH 31, 2006 – The Recreation Club at St. Joseph’s College is proud to sponsor a talk by Long Island activist and ALS survivor, Chris Pendergast on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 from 12:40 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. in the McGann Conference Center located in O’Connor Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

A former elementary school teacher from Long Island, Chris Pendergast was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 1993, a rapidly progressive disease that affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscular movement. In 1998, Pendergast founded Ride for Life, a foundation whose goal is to raise money and awareness for ALS and to ultimately find a cure. Approximately 30,000 Americans have ALS, and an estimated 5,000 Americans are diagnosed every year. A life-threatening disease, ALS is estimated to take the life of one person every 90 minutes, usually within the first 2-3 years of diagnosis.

On April 18th, Pendergast will speak to the St. Joseph’s College community about his life experiences as a person with ALS as well as his fundraising efforts through Ride for Life. Each year, members of Ride for Life make a tiresome 10-day journey from Manhattan to Montauk in their electric wheelchairs to raise public awareness and funding for ALS research. This year, Pendergast and Ride for Life will be leaving for their island-wide trek on Friday, April 28, 2006. Since 1998, Ride for Life has raised nearly $2 million for ALS research.

Chris Pendergast has received numerous accolades for his continued commitment to education. In 1999, Governor George Pataki presented him with a citation for his dedication to education, and in 2000, Pendergast was nominated for the New York State Teacher of the Year. With the help of his students, Pendergast constructed a barrier-free playground for disabled children in the Town of Huntington, named “Pendergast’s Playground.” Now retired, he frequently writes and lectures about ALS and has been seen on News 12 Long Island and NBC’s the Today Show.

St. Joseph’s College is located at 155 W. Roe Blvd. in Patchogue. For more information, contact Robin Lombardo at (631) 447-3922.

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in over 21 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Adult and Professional Education. Graduate degrees are also offered including an Executive MBA, a Master of Science in Management, a Master of Science Degree with a Major in Nursing, a Master of Arts in Literacy/Cognition and a Master of Arts in Infant/Toddler Early Childhood Special Education.