Participants in the Student Leadership Conference 2011 are holding a bake sale, bracelet sale (pictured above) and clothing drive as part of a fundraising project to support research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The bake sale will be on Feb. 24 after school and the clothing drive on Feb. 25 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Both events will be held at the high school. Bracelets can be purchased from SLC members for $2. SLC members chose ALS because it affects one of their very own, senior Sara Payne, whose mother was diagnosed with the disease this past summer. “I had discussed my mom’s illness on the day we planned to choose the cause for our fundraiser. When other students and teachers decided to donate to research for the disease, it really moved me,” said Payne. “It is nice to know that so many people care about me and would help me take a stand against this disease.”