Sport and research combine in this charitable initiative that seeks to raise awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and raise funds for this disease research. On June 11 and 12, the first Women’s football competition, “Ellas contra la ELA”, was held. The initiative raised more than 13.500 euros for IDIBELL’s ALS research.
Today, June 21, World ALS Day, the campaign ends. According to Dr. Pol Andrés, a researcher at IDIBELL and the Bellvitge University Hospital: “It has been a complete success, we are delighted with the welcome received and the funds raised. It has been a campaign full of solidarity, emotions, and sport”.
During the closing ceremony, the importance of citizen solidarity to promote science in our country was emphasized. As pointed out by Dr. Mònica Povedano, principal investigator of the research group on neurological diseases and neurogenetics at IDIBELL and the Bellvitge University Hospital and a world reference in ALS: ” researchers should not be setting up campaigns to finance research, but unfortunately, only 1.4% of GDP is allocated to research, compared to the European average, which is more than 2 % of GDP”.
This project was promoted by the research group on neurological diseases and neurogenetics of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), has the support of the Miquel Valls Catalan Foundation for ALS and the sponsorship of Vueling, Macbor, and Ferrer and the collaboration of Carlota Planas Riera, founder of the representation agency Unik Sports Management.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).