If you or someone you know has been touched by Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and is a dependent whose family's finances have been impacted due to a parent or guardian (living or who passed in 2019 or after) having been diagnosed with ALS, please invite them to submit an interest application for an Iron Horse Scholarship. This renewable, four-year scholarship provides up to $2,130 per semester for up to eight semesters for students pursuing a degree.
The scholarship value, $2,130, harkens to Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record and reminds our award recipients of all that Lou stood for in the face of ALS. The deadline for completed interest applications is Wednesday, February 21, 2024. View a PDF overview of the application.
Registered Live Like Lou families receive preference in the application process. Register your ALS family. Registering makes you eligible for the Connect and Serve program (matching families with volunteers for short-term or one-time projects in/around the home), Home Improvement Grants for renovations that become necessary following an ALS diagnosis, and Holiday Respite Grants. Read more about each program.
Finalists for Iron Horse Scholarships will be notified in mid-March and asked to complete a supplementary application, including a personal essay and letter of recommendation. Four Iron Horse Scholarship recipients will be announced in April, along with one-time Onward Awards of $500-$2,130 for select finalists.
Since its inception, the Live Like Lou Foundation has awarded four Iron Horse Scholarships annually in honor of Lou Gehrig's #4 jersey for the Yankees. Learn more about our previous recipients:
In 2021, one-time Onward Awards were established to honor runners-up to Iron Horse Scholarships. Onward Awards come in varying amounts and are awarded from the pool of finalist applicants for Iron Horse Scholarships. ONWARD is inspired by Live Like Lou's founder, Neil Alexander, who lost his battle with ALS in 2015. It signified looking ahead and forward, to a future without ALS.
Patrick Alexander: Patrick has been involved with the Iron Horse Scholarship committee since 2019 and has enjoyed being able to give back to other children and caregivers of ALS patients. His involvement with supporting ALS families started when his parents founded Live Like Lou in 2012, following his father's diagnosis. Patrick is a sophomore at American University.
Evan Campa: a friend of Live Like Lou in Nashville. Evan is a mom of two and was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 at the age of 37.
Greyson Geiler: treasurer of the Live Like Lou board of trustees and chair of the Iron Horse Scholarship Selection Committee.
Anthony Gonzalez: a Phi Delta Theta (Lou Gehrig's Fraternity!) from Seton Hall. Anthony is an involved Live Like Lou and Hope Loves Company volunteer who works for JP Morgan Chase.
Cullen Kyte: a Phi Delta Theta from Chapman University, Cullen is the son of an ALS warrior who passed in 2014. He is a past Live Like Lou scholarship recipient and has served on the committee since 2019. Currently, Cullen works as a Revenue Operations Manager at Fivetran.com.
David Martin, MD: David is a resident physician in psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin Hospital. He lives outside Madison with his wife, Eilis, a marriage and family therapist. David is a Phi Delta Theta Fraternity member, received a scholarship from the Live Like Lou Foundation in 2013, and continues to fight against ALS in memory of his dad, Jim.
Kylan Morris: Kylan's mom is the late Sandy Morris, a fierce ALS warrior and prominently known for leading the team that founded the Morris ALS Principles. Kylan has been an active advocate in the ALS community since her mother's diagnosis in 2018 and developed the ALS Clinic Advisor to better inform people living with ALS and their caregivers about services, trials, and resources in their ALS journey. Kylan raised over $20,000 for Project ALS by running the NYC Marathon in 2022 in honor of her mom, who passed away in August 2023. Kylan joined the Live Like Lou board of trustees in 2024.
Jodi O'Donnell-Ames: founder of Hope Loves Company, whose mission is to provide emotional and educational support to children and young adults who have or had a loved one battling ALS, as well as author, speaker, and empowerment coach.
Jack Silva: an ALS advocate and co-chair of the legislative affairs committee for I AM ALS. He works in technology in Silicon Valley. Jack joined the Live Like Lou board of trustees in 2024.
Juliet Taylor: Juliet is an active ALS advocate and writer. In addition to being a proud volunteer with Live Like Lou, she is the co-chair of I AM ALS' Community Outreach team and also its Writers' Group, and authors a regular column in ALS News Today. Her professional background is in marketing and communications. Juliet lost her husband, Jeff, to ALS in 2020.
Ashley Thombs: Ashley is determined to turn her pain into purpose. She recently lost her father in May 2023 to ALS after 5 years with the devastating disease. Ashley is a member of the I AM ALS Clinical Trials team, a NEALS ALS Research Ambassador, and served as a consumer reviewer for CDMRP for ALS funding from the Department of Defense. Ashley is eager to get involved with Live Like Lou and change the trajectory of ALS.
Ari Wienert: Ari is a production coordinator in Los Angeles who lost her father, an ALS warrior, in 2022. She is eager to see what she can learn and how she can give back to this community.
