Debbie Williams and her team of guest bartenders blew out all expectations with our fund-raising event at the Mint Nightclub in Los Angeles.

The dedicated group raised $28,957 in tips to be used to support ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) research initiatives.

Special congratulations go out to our top five individual fund-raisers for the night:

Greg Hester
Nicole Privett
Ken Koprowski
Lee Pasteris
Debbie Williams

Thanks to everyone who attended this fun event with lots of laughter, cocktails, and love. Our founder Barry Winovich was in attendance, and he loved greeting everyone. From old co-workers to new friends on the West Coast, from current friends to old high school buddies, Barry valued each and every one of you who found the time to stop by and support his mission.

Thank you as well to Bright Side’s new celebrity friends who added some Hollywood sizzle to the night: Brian Van Holt of ABC’s Cougar Town, Sarah Lancaster of NBC’s Chuck, and Trina Dolenz of VH1’s Tool Academy.

An especially warm thank you also goes out to everyone who couldn’t attend, but found it in their heart to share a “virtual tip” online with their favorite bartender.

And to our team of guest bartenders; we love you and we appreciate your efforts more than you can ever know. Our success is entirely your success, and you will always be a special part of Bright Side!

Don’t forget, our bartenders’ tip jars will remain open for a few more days! Click to send them a virtual tip online.

The ongoing struggle to find a cure for ALS is a daunting task, but we won’t give up if you don’t give up.

Together we will make a brighter tomorrow for those afflicted with this disease.

Barry Winovich and the Bright Side of the Road Foundation

Thanks to your continued support, Bright Side of the Road Foundation is reporting unprecedented growth and success this year.

Now with thousands of supporters and numerous events throughout the year, we are able to make a greater impact on critically important ALS research at the Cleveland Clinic and nationally.

Click to download our complete 2008-2009 Annual Review (pdf format)

In 2010, we will be in a position to surpass $1,000,000 in grants and gifts that have funded very relevant research at places like The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Center at Columbia University and Project A.L.S., another New York City-based group primarily dedicated to the use of stem cells in uncovering the mysteries of neuro-degeneration.

At the same time, we continue to fund the Barry Winovich Endowed Chair for ALS Research at the Cleveland Clinic.  As you’ll see in this report, we are half-way to the goal of raising $1.5M for this permanent source of funding for ALS research.

On behalf of the Bright Side family that continues to grow and branch-out, thank you for your support.  The money we receive is very carefully managed and leveraged to increase our impact on the medical research community here in Cleveland and around the country.

Jack Subel
Executive Director
Bright Side of the Road Foundation

A short video about Barry Winovich and the mission of his Bright Side of the Road Foundation.

With the momentum that we have, how can we make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time?

To answer this question, we embarked on a due diligence mission outside of our local community and visited some of the top ALS research organizations in the world. We learned a number of things about the disease, two of which guided our direction: First, because ALS is an “orphan disease,” there are substantial financial barriers to high caliber research, which has limited the progress in finding a cure.

But a second, more promising fact we learned took us full circle: One of the nation’s best clinical research facilities in Neurosciences happens to be in our own backyard: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, ranked #1 in Ohio and #5 in the nation. Indeed, the Cleveland Clinic is well positioned to be a leader in neuroscience research and break new ground in ALS.

We decided that the best way for Bright Side to support ALS research is to remove these financial barriers to new and innovative research at an institution extremely well positioned to make an impact, the Cleveland Clinic. This can be achieved through the creation of an “endowed chair” – a dedicated fund established through a philanthropic commitment.

ON JUNE 15, 2007, BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD FOUNDATION PLEDGED TO RAISE $1.5 MILLION OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD TOWARDS “THE BARRY WINOVICH ENDOWED CHAIR FOR ALS RESEARCH.”

The principal of the fund will remain intact, and will generate a permanent source of annual income for the chair holder, who will be selected by the Cleveland Clinic. We built in flexibility so that some income can be paid out each year to the chair holder before we reach our goal. Not only will this income keep the research ongoing, but it will provide seed money for projects that could lead to NIH grants.

As part of the stewardship, Bright Side of the Road Foundation will participate in the Clinic’s annual review of the chair holder’s progress in meeting established goals.

Meet Dr. Erik Pioro,  Director of the Clinic’s Center for ALS and Related Disorders, and Chair Holder of the Barry Winovich Endowed Chair for ALS Research.

We believe that through our commitment and momentum, we are uniquely positioned to band ALS supporters together in Northeast Ohio to bring us closer to a cure.

Please join us in making this hope a reality.

The Cleveland Clinic selected its Director of the Clinic’s Center for ALS and Related Disorders, Dr. Erik Pioro, as the chair holder.  Dr. Pioro is an internationally renowned expert in ALS, and highly regarded as among the best and the brightest in ALS research.

In addition to many years of clinical care and research, Dr. Pioro collaborates with other respected professionals in cutting edge genetic research, at such places as the National Institute of Health, (NIH) and Johns Hopkins University. He has authored numerous articles, as well as a book on ALS research and clinical care, and frequently presents at international ALS symposiums.  Dr. Pioro’s and the Clinic’s Neurosciences Institute’s strong reputations put the Cleveland Clinic on the short list for pharmaceutical trials.

Given the Clinic’s breadth of expertise, Dr. Pioro and other ALS researchers have unfettered access to research across many other disciplines, such as neuroimaging, neurology, and diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy.

Since the middle of this decade, there have been major strides in genetic and therapeutic research that could lead to breakthroughs for ALS.  The Cleveland Clinic, through Dr. Pioro’s leadership and unrelenting commitment, is at the gateway of these possibilities.

Find out more about Dr. Pioro and the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute Center for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Related Disorders….

Download our Annual Report (PDF format)

From the introduction: The mission established by Barry Winovich and the Board of Directors at Bright Side of the Road remains strong.  We have now been in existence as established 501(c)(3), a recognized tax-exempt public charity, for just over two years and our commitment to fighting ALS is unwavering.

We are very pleased to report that 2007 was a great year.  We had revenues that exceeded 2006 by $100,000 equaling $442,000 and we hope that 2008 will bring continued growth – we’re off to a great start.

In 2007, the Barry Winovich Endowed Chair was officially established.  This Chair clarifies our goals and establishes our commitment to the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and the work of the chair holder – Dr. Erik Pioro.  You can read more about Dr. Pioro and some of his patients in this annual report.

Most importantly, 2007 and 2008 have brought us closer to some of the courageous people that have been diagnosed with ALS.  Their stories vary and seem random like the disease they carry.  Their onsets are as diverse as their demographic.  Yes, ALS is puzzling and the challenge to find a cure seems overwhelming at times.  However, the friendships that we have made during this journey reaffirm the mission that we must do all we can to advance the science necessary to understanding this disease.

We have made a great choice to support the great work that Dr. Pioro and his counterparts are doing at the Cleveland Clinic.  On behalf of Barry and all of us in the Bright Side family, we hope you join us in our fight.  ALS patients currently living with the disease and those that will be diagnosed in the years ahead, count on groups like ours to win this war.

Thank you all so much in advance for the support you give us here at Bright Side!

Lax wrote…

In late 2007, I joined a journey to the bright side of the road. However inviting that may sound,
remember that while sunlight illuminates beauty, it also shines on dark and frightening things.

Yet it’s only when these things are illuminated that they can be seen, and healed.

This sunlit journey is full of pain and desperation, as well as bathed in love andcompassion. I met some remarkable and courageous people who are doing things that even they, not long ago, could never have imagined doing.

It is a journey into a world of almost unspeakable suffering, as well as limitless hope.

Read the entire article here…