We at the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center express our sympathy and concern to all whose lives have been touched by the terrible tragedies of September 11, and we send our gratitude to all who are working to bring comfort in the wake of such sorrow. For those patients living near the disaster area, we encourage the use of protective face masks to limit the effects on the respiratory system of the excessive dust and debris in the air. Due to the events of last Tuesday, the ALS Clinic was conducted on a limited basis for those patients who were able to access the Center. We have rescheduled clinic for those who were not able to access the city due to bridge, tunnel and road closures. A special thanks to our physical therapist, Anne Clark, who kindly agreed to drive a stranded patient home to NJ when the George Washington Bridge finally re-opened. After safely dropping off the patient, Ms. Clark then had to walk more than 4 miles to her own home due to additional road closures. This is another demonstration of the sense of community and caring that reaches far beyond the immediate disaster area. The Wings of Hope fundraiser originally set for September 14th at Tavern on the Green was postponed. What would have been the largest ALS fundraiser by MDA in the NYC area was strongly underwritten by members of the Wall Street community ‹ which was personally affected by the attacks on Tuesday. We will notify you when the event is rescheduled. http://www.geocities.com/mdawingsofhope/ We remain hopeful for more peaceful times.