Squire Patton Boggs’ Partner Larry Schiffer Celebrates 15 Years of Raising Funds for ALS Research
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 3:20PM Fifteen years ago, when Squire Patton Boggs New York partner Larry Schiffer’s sister-in-law, Toni Diamond, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), she and Mr. Schiffer’s brother, Warren Schiffer, were determined to raise funds to find treatments and a cure for ALS. Shortly after, Ms. Diamond’s disease progression accelerated and she was forced to go on a ventilator to breathe. Mr. Schiffer was approached by his brother to take the reins on the fundraising gala, while he cared for his wife 24/7 for nearly five years. She died from ALS in 2004.
Today, MDA’s Wings Over Wall Street is one of the most successful fundraisers for ALS research having put nearly US$11 million in the hands of the ALS researchers from The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, the Eleanor & Lou Gehrig ALS Research Center at Columbia University and the ALS Research Grants program of the MDA’s ALS Division.
On October 22, 2015, at the fabulous Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, Wings celebrated its 15th Anniversary co-chaired by John Schwall, COO of IEX Group, Inc. and Lisa Utasi, Director and Senior Equity Trader at Clearbridge Investments. The Gala honored John Najarian from CNBC and optionMonstor.com with the Michael P. Beier Award, Dr. James Berry, Co-Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Multidisciplinary ALS Clinic, with the Diamond Award, and Karen Condron, artist and PALS, with the Spirit Award. Co-chairs Schwall and Utasi were also presented with special chairs awards by Warren and Larry Schiffer.
Mr. Schiffer said that the event was a significant milestone in ALS fundraising as Wings approaches the US$11 million mark and because of the significant number of drug trials and other therapies that are being tested because of the jumpstart on research provided over the past 15 years by fund raised at MDA’s Wings Over Wall Street.
“I am very proud to have played a small part in creating and developing one of the most important fundraisers for ALS research, but we still have a long way to go before we have a cure” said Mr. Schiffer. He urges those who would like to help cure ALS to join the Wings family and visit www.wingsoverwallstreet.org for more information or to make a donation.