Barry Winovich, along with his family and his friends, founded the Bright Side of the Road Foundation in 2006 soon after Barry’s diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”

The foundation’s goal was to assemble a collective of energy and resources for organizing events that raise funds for ALS research.

The foundation is incorporated in the State of Ohio and is organized exclusively for charitable and, more importantly, scientific purposes as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Our Mission is to:

1. Make grants to support activities and projects relating to the causes, prevention, treatment and cure for ALS such as specific research, drug trials and other medical and/or scientific programs identified as relevant.
2. Also, we want to support other organizations whose purpose is to raise awareness, educate patients, families, caregivers and the general public about ALS.

After the Foundation’s first few months, the Bright Side Board of Directors decided that an effective way to support ALS research would be to remove financial barriers to new and innovative research at an institution extremely well positioned to make an impact, the Cleveland Clinic.

To achieve this, the Bright Side of the Road Foundation created  an “endowed chair”  with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation – a dedicated fund established through a philanthropic commitment.

Find out more about the Barry Winovich Endowed Chair for ALS Research at the Cleveland Clinic