The organizing committee for the Williams Lake Walk to End ALS is preparing for the 9th Annual Walk taking place on Saturday, June 6 2020.
All members of the Walk to End ALS committee are volunteers for the ALS Society of BC & Yukon. The Walk is the Society’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Money raised goes to help finance research for a cure for ALS and also to deliver services for families living with ALS during the long illness.
The committee will be holding a meeting on Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Williams Lake Library meeting room. Anyone interested in helping organize the walk and assist in fundraising is welcome at the meeting.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects a person’s motor neurons that carry messages to the muscles resulting in weakness and wasting in arms, legs, mouth, throat and elsewhere. Typically the person affected is immobilized or deceased within two to five years of the initial diagnosis. Three to five Canadians are identified with ALS daily and the same number waste away and perish from ALS each day.
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The impact on the family is powerful. As they struggle to cope with the prospect of advancing disability and death, it consumes their emotional and financial reserves. ALS is a costly disease in its later stages, demanding both extensive nursing care and expensive equipment. On the broader scene, the health-care system has been pushed to the limit and usually unable to cover the costs of supplemental care.
The Williams Lake Walk to End ALS would welcome your support helping with the preparation for the Walk and providing ideas and assistance with fundraising. Your help with preparing for the Walk on June 6th will bring us steps closer to finding a cure for this dreaded disease. If you wish to volunteer please contact Chris Siebert (250-392-5087) or Eileen Campbell (250-267-7611) or come to the meeting on Feb. 12 at 6:30 at the library.
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