Steve Gleason to receive WSU’s highest alumni honor

Former Washington State Cougar and New Orleans Saint standout Steve Gleason will receive Washington State University’s 2017 Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award, the university’s highest alumni honor, Aug. 10 on the Pullman campus.

The community is invited to attend the event, which begins at 2 p.m. on the Club Level of Martin Stadium. WSU President Kirk Schulz and Regent Ron Sims will present the award. A reception will follow.

Gleason is recognized as a leading spokesperson for the effort to find a cure for the neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2011, Gleason famously said then “There will be no white flags.” In the six years since his diagnosis, the Team Gleason Foundation he founded has raised awareness of ALS and millions of dollars to fund research and technology.

In 2015, Gleason was the inspiration behind a bill signed into law by President Barack Obama. The Steve Gleason Act makes critical technology available to ALS patients through Medicare and Medicaid.

This story was originally published July 31, 2017 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Steve Gleason to receive WSU’s highest alumni honor."