'Sopranos' stars to join ALS walk

Joined by several cast members of the HBO series "The Sopranos," more than 750 area residents are expected to walk a 3-mile route along the Seaside Heights boardwalk to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The 2007 Walk to D'Feet ALS is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. May 19 to raise funds for local patient services and help find a cure for ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

This year cast members from "The Sopranos" will again be signing autographs for a donation to the walk. All money raised from the walk will support ALS research and services provided free of charge to ALS patients and families throughout the region, including in-home care, clinics, equipment, assistive technology, recreational programs and nursing visits.

Registration is now being accepted for the walk, which begins in Seaside Heights at Hiering Avenue and the Boardwalk. Every registered walker who turns in $25 or more in contributions on walk day will receive a complimentary pass redeemable for unlimited kiddie rides at Funtown Pier between noon and 2 p.m. May 19.

The organizers hope to beat last year's total contributions, when more than $144,000 was raised to help strike out ALS. For more information about joining the Walk to D'Feet ALS, contact Allison Walker at (877) GEHRIG-1 or allison@alsphiladelphia.org, or visit www.alsphiladelphia.org.

Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS, a neuromuscular condition for which there is no known cause or cure. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the ALS Association provides support and resources for ALS patients, their families and caregivers living in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, central and southern New Jersey, and Delaware.