By Molly Cruitt
Earlier this summer, I got married at the church I grew up in, three days after my grandmother’s 78th birthday. My grandmother wasn’t there.
It’s been almost a full decade since my grandma lost her battle with ALS plus dementia, and it’s easy to get lost thinking of all the things she’s missed and the moments that will continue to happen without her present.
By Josh Rogers, Senior Vice President & Partner, FleishmanHillard
A few weekends ago, I was jogging past Steinberg Rink in Forest Park and I remembered the first Walk to Defeat ALS® that I attended. The Walk started and finished at Steinberg. That was 2005 or 2006, I think. I participated in two Walks at Steinberg. Then the event shifted to the Forest Park Visitor’s Center. And this year, we’re moving again to the upper Muny parking lot.
Each location to date has served us very well as the event has grown. And I know our new spot will be great too. Forest Park is such a wonderful institution … it’s impossible to go wrong with an event in the park.
When you attend a Walk to Defeat ALS®, you’ll be surrounded by hundreds of people who have been touched by this disease, each with their own story of how ALS has impacted their lives. Some are still fighting, and complete the route in their wheelchairs, next to an army of supporters cheering them on. Some have lost someone special to the disease, but are committed to continuing the fight in memory of their friend or loved one. All are warriors in the fight to defeat ALS.
Chatham, Illinois resident Ben Rudin was just 40 years old and the father of two young sons when he was diagnosed with ALS. He and his wife, Rebecca, participated in the Springfield Walk to Defeat ALS®, forming a team of family and friends to walk in support of a cure and to fund care for people living with the disease. An avid music lover and fan of the musical group, the Drive By Truckers, the family named their team, Truckin’ with Ben.
Continue reading The Rudin Family Keeps on Truckin’ at the Walk to Defeat ALS®
May is ALS Awareness Month, a great time to get involved in the fight against ALS. In an earlier blog post, we told you a little about how you can be a voice for families living with an ALS diagnosis by becoming an ALS Advocate. This week, we want to introduce you to some other ways you can have some fun and make a difference!
ALS Association volunteers are a special breed of superhero — they are the heart and soul of this Chapter. They give up countless hours of their personal time to provide us with all manner of help – in the office, in the homes of people living with ALS, on our board of directors, as public policy advocates, on our committees, at our special events – without asking for anything in return.
So many of our volunteers have been personally impacted by ALS, and have seen up close and personal the devastation the disease brings upon a family. These wonderful people become volunteers to fight for a cure and to ensure that other families are supported physically and emotionally on their disease journey.
Two of those special volunteers are Don and Claire Bratcher, who have been ALS warriors and volunteers for close to 15 years. Claire recently agreed to share their story and we’re delighted to post it here in her own words.
Continue reading Don and Claire Bratcher: Imagining a World without ALS
After a six-year journey with ALS riddled with highs and lows, our beloved Tammy lost her life at the age of 39. Yep, 39. You might be thinking, “man, that’s young.” You’re right. It is. Tammy left behind a family and many friends who adored her. For the ninth year, we will once again come together as Team Tammy Hardy in the Walk to Defeat ALS. This is why.
Continue reading Why We Walk to Defeat ALS: Team Tammy Hardy
As summertime is upon us, communities all over the country will begin to host the Walk to Defeat ALS. This annual event brings together thousands of people nationwide to walk in honor of or in memory of someone they love. But that doesn’t tell the full story as to what this Walk means. Continue reading In It For Life
