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PRESS RELEASE
Norman High School Class of 1965
Norman, Oklahoma 

                                                               Contact:
                                                               Laura (Hill) Cantrell 757-635-3936


April 2005

  NHS CLASS OF '65 TO HONOR CLASSMATE DR. RICK OLNEY

The Norman High School Class of 1965 has announced that, in conjunction with its 40th Reunion scheduled for July 22-23, 2005 in Norman, OK, a campaign has been launched in honor of classmate Dr. Richard (Rick) Olney. Dr. Olney, a renowned neurologist and founder of the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Center at the University of California San Francisco, was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and has placed himself in the research and drug study he himself designed. Featured in recent national media reports, Dr. Olney has been widely recognized for his research and compassionate treatment of hundreds of people with ALS and is admired for his continuing research while he deals with the disease.

As a member of the Norman High School Class of 1965, Dr. Olney was active in swimming, track and cross country, Student Council, band and received many academic honors. He maintained his connection to the class over the years and was a regular attendee at the Class of ’65 reunions which have been held every 5 years since the class graduated.

ALS, the disease that ended the life of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, is a fatal neuromuscular disease that is non contagious and randomly strikes one in 1,000 people, with its victims typically falling between the ages of 40-70 with the peak age at about 55.

Information about donating to the fund will be mailed to all NHS Class of 1965 alumni during the month of April. Donations from friends of Rick and the Class of ’65 are also welcome and can be made online at https://advancement.ucsf.edu/makeAgift/ (select menu item "ALS Center-Rick Olney Fund," and note "NHS Class of '65 Campaign"). Donations can also be made by mail (checks payable to UCSF Foundation; note in cover letter or check memo line that donation benefits "NHS Class of '65 Campaign for the Fund to Honor Dr. Richard Olney) and mail to: Catharine Freyer, UCSF Foundation, 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2200, San Francisco, CA 94104.

Any questions regarding the fund may be directed to Laura (Hill) Cantrell, (757) 635-3936.