On February 24th, I lost a friend. His name was Kenneth Mitchell. To the world he was the actor who played a Klingon on Star Trek, or one of the brothers on Jericho. That's how I met him, too. But his genuine connection with the people he spoke to made it hard not to consider him a dear friend before long. It seems appropriate that I'm raising funds in his name now,as one of the first times he reached out to me privately was about a children's charity the Klingon fandom was promoting. That's the sort of thing Kem would do. He also helped us in one of our earliest big fundraisers for Wounded Warriors Canada, providing PTSD service dogs to veterans. He was also such a bright spot in the lives of those he touched. I have saved messages he sent me after I got married, and when my son was born. 

He fought ALS valiantly for 5 1/2, never letting it take the spark that made him so special. He was a loving man, a dedicated father, and above all kind and compassionate. We lost him too soon. But now we carry on his battle, so that someday others will not have to be lost to ALS. And so today those who fight it can live with the supports they need. 

Thisyear Team Klingon will be participating in the ALS Canada Walk to End ALS. Now more than ever, the ALS community needs our support to provide hope and help to families affected by ALS. That’s why we're joining thousands of others, a part of a passionate and motivated community to “walk” in celebration of hope and a world free of ALS. Please consider supporting our team and donating towards this important cause.

Your support will help to:

• Create a better day-to-day reality for people and families living with ALS by providing community-based support throughout Ontario – like home visits and support groups – as well as necessary medical equipment like hospital beds, wheelchairs, stairlifts and other items that increase safety in the home, at no cost to those who need them.
• Further scientific progress by investing in the ALS Canada Research Program, which funds promising ALS research. The ALS Canada Research Program is the only national dedicated source of funding for ALS research across Canada. This program provides peer-reviewed grants to researchers whose work has the greatest potential to advance the field of ALS. There’s been more progress made in ALS research in the last five years than over the last century – we need to keep building on this momentum.

Join our team in making a difference. Please consider donating to our team fundraising page as we work toward a world free of ALS.

Your support is needed now more than ever – we are stronger together!