The ALS Association (ALSA) has named Todd McFarlane to its newly formed "Lou's Team," an active sports council honoring Lou Gehrig comprised of professional athletes and celebrities with an impact on the sports and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) communities. Members of Lou's Team will officially be announced May 18 at ESPN Zone Washington, DC, during ALS Advocacy Day and will work together to raise public awareness of ALS and the work of ALSA to advance the fight against this fatal disease that currently affects some 30,000 Americans.

Other confirmed team members include Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein; ESPN's Dick Schaap; baseball stars Steve Garvey, Kent Hrbek, George Brett, Curt Schilling and David Cone; golfer Tom Lehman; Mrs. Helen Hunter and family of Jim "Catfish" Hunter; plus other sports and Hollywood celebrities.

"Todd McFarlane and The McFarlane Collection have brought an immeasurable amount of increased awareness to ALS and the work of The ALS Association," said Mike Havlicek, president. "We are privileged to have Todd join our effort to fight Lou Gehrig's disease in Washington. His appearance will truly make a difference."

As part of the Advocacy Day events, Todd is bringing The McFarlane Collection, featuring Mark McGwire's historic 70th home run baseball, to Washington's ESPN Zone, a premier sports entertainment and dining complex. The traveling exhibit chronicles some of the greatest moments from the 1998 season including McGwire's #1, 63, 64, 67, 68 and 69 home run baseballs, and Sammy Sosa's #33, 61 and 66 baseballs. There is no charge to see this dramatic 28-foot wall of home run memorabilia, sports stats and audio/visual presentations scheduled to be at ESPN Zone from May 18-21. Todd will also be involved in a Senate subcommittee hearing and other Capitol Hill events, along with an event launching Lou's Team at the ESPN Zone on Thursday evening.

When Gehrig died of ALS in 1941, little was known about the disease other than it took the life of one of America's greatest sports figures. The ALS Association is the national charity of choice forThe McFarlane Collection tour, receiving 100 percent of fund-raising proceeds. Since June 1999, nearly 1 million fans have viewed the tour, raising tens of thousands of dollars to fight a disease that has taken the lives of such notables as baseball hall of famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter, actors Michael Zaslow and David Niven, NFL player Glen Montgomery and U.S. Senator Jacob Javits.

A two-time Emmy- and Grammy-winning Producer/Director, McFarlane is the creative force behind several companies including Spawn.com, Todd McFarlane Entertainment and McFarlane Toys. He purchased McGwire's 70th for a Guinness Record of $3 million in January 1999. McFarlaneis also part-owner of the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. For more information about the Collection, Todd McFarlane and the McFarlane group of companies, visit Spawn.com.

[Posted 5/16/2000]