The brothers of Phi Delta Theta will be swinging for the fences to raise money for Lou Gehrig’s disease research on April 26 at Fred Beekman Park.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively destroys brain and spinal cord nerve cells which causes severe muscle atrophy after the brain looses control of muscle functions.

The second annual ALS Homerun Derby is open to the public and costs $50 for a team of five with all proceeds benefiting the ALS Association’s central and southern Ohio chapters, said Ben Waite, a junior in strategic communication and the fraternity’s philanthropy chair.

Teams will be placed in a bracket and the teams with the most homeruns advance to the next round until only the champions remain. Prizes range from gift cards to a trophy, according to an event flier.

“Our fraternity’s slow-pitch softball event is a fun way to support research for such a worthy cause,” said Will Merritt, a sophomore finance major.

The Home Run Derby, which raised $500 last year to help strike out ALS, honors former Columbia University Phi Delt and New York Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig, who died of the disease in 1941 at age 39. Gehrig is perhaps best known for his “Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, when he made his diagnosis public during his retirement announcement.

As many as 30,000 Americans are affected by ALS annually, including about 15 new diagnoses every day, according to the ALS Association’s Web site.

“This is a cause that our fraternity feels pretty passionate about,” Waite said. “Hopefully through our efforts and the contribution of those who come out to the derby we can help make a difference.”

In addition to the Homerun Derby, other events include a relay race, a hot dog eating contest and “Dunk a Delt,” where participants throw water balloons at fraternity members for a $2 donation.

First pitch is at 10:30 a.m. For more information or to register for the Home Run Derby, contact Ben Waite at [email protected].

Marc Feher can be reached at [email protected].