The ALS Association has recognized its Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter as Chapter of the Year during ceremonies at the recently held Leadership Development and ALS Clinical Conference in Newport Beach, California.

The Catfish Chapter, which provides services to over 800 people living with ALS in North Carolina, was recognized for its overall excellence in management, leadership development, fundraising, community outreach, patient services, advocacy, funding research and working effectively with the National Office.

The chapter also won the Iron Horse Award for its achievements in revenue development while keeping fundraising and administrative expenses low. In December, the chapter’s Walks were recognized as well, taking the top fundraising award for their market group. Overall, their Walks came in 4th in the nation behind powerhouse chapters in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

“The awards are a testament to the generosity of those who believe in what we are doing and the long hours and hard work of our staff, board and volunteers,” said Jerry Dawson, President of the Catfish Chapter. “We had no idea that we would win, it was completely unexpected. We do not do this work for the recognition but it is nice to know that our accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. We must be doing something right.”

The Chapter of the Year Award and other awards presented to chapters at the conference spanned a diverse array of achievements in serving the ALS community. “We are incredibly proud of the Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter Chapter for their unprecedented growth and achievement in furthering our mission which is setting a benchmark for those around the country,” said Gary Leo, President and CEO of the Association’s national office.

The ALS Association is the only national voluntary not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects 30,000 people annually in the United States. The North Carolina Chapter was named in honor of North Carolina native and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Jim “Catfish” Hunter. Hunter passed away from complications of ALS in 1999. The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

For more information about ALS and the ALS Association, visit www.CatfishChapter.org, or call 1-877-568-4347.