10 year anniversary.  Something people typically celebrate!  This 10-year anniversary is filled with sadness, sorrowful memoried and longing.  It has been 10 years since we (John's parents Jack & Terry) lost our son to this horrible disease.  John battled ALS for 5 years before it finally claimed him.

ALS or Lou Gerig's disease as many know it by, claims it's victims by killing the brain neurons repsonsible for everyday movements of the body.  One by one an ALS patient loses their ability to walk, talk, move, bodily functions and eventualy even breathing.  This one thing it does not claim is the paitient's ability to think clearly.  So, in essence, an ALS patient is trapped inside a body that can't do anything.  Communication with others is almost impossible as the disease progresses.  They are more helpless than a newborn baby.  Patients need to be fed, bathed, dressed, and every other single thing we all take for granted......... like an itch that needs to be scratched....... they have to somehow  communicate they have an itch and get their caretaker to scratch it!

Before john died a vow was made to him to keep collecting for ALS for as long as possible.  10 years since John passed and still collecting.  In the 15 years of collecting we have raised over $50,000!  This is not only spectacular, but every year is humbling to see the support we have for this cause.  Typically in the London walk we are in the 10 top single fundraisers, often the top 5 and a couple time the top 2!  We certainly could not do this without the support of our family, friends, Legion colleagues and community near and far.

Let's make this a banner year in memory of John!

This summer we 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!