There is a flurry of fundraising events coming up over the next few months to support ongoing research into ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

This year’s eighth annual Walk for ALS is set for June 18 at Little Chief Park, with registration starting at 9:15 a.m. A barbecue and live entertainment follow the event.

Participants are encouraged to gather donations and hit the trails for the 4.5 km walk.

Sixty per cent of donations are used for client support in Alberta and 40% goes to ALS research to find the cause and cure, said Crystal Austen-Hunt, communications coordinator. Raffle tickets will also be available for a number of prizes.

Gearing up for that key event are a number of other fundraisers in the community.

Throughout the rest of April and May, volunteers throughout Central Alberta will be hosting Cornflower Days. Raffle tickets will be sold to raise funds for research and support of those living with ALS.

According to the ALS Society of Canada, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. People living with the disease become progressively paralyzed due to degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

Eighty per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years of diagnosis, but 10% of those affected may live for 10 years or longer. 



About 2,500 – 3,000 Canadians currently live with ALS, which has no known cure or effective treatment yet.

ALS can strike anyone. It can hit at any time, regardless of age, sex or ethnic origin. The usual age of onset is 55–65 but people under 20 have been diagnosed.

Looking ahead on the local front, Gasoline Alley Harley-Davidson’s All Wheels Poker Run, set for June 4 with registration set for 9:30 a.m., is supporting the Red Deer Walk for ALS.

For more information, folks can contact Gladys at gweiland@gasolinealltharleydavidson.com or 403-341-3040.

Red Deer’s Sports Therapy Centre and Pure fighting championship’s upcoming PFC Fight Event has also chosen to support the Red Deer Walk for ALS. That event is slated for May 13 at the Stockmans Pavilion at Westerner Park.

For tickets or more information contact Christine Lachance at 403-506-9766 or Nadine at 403-347-0190. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

Also, the Rocky Mountain House Rodeo June 10-12 has picked the Red Deer Walk for ALS as this year’s charity to support and the Red Deer Optimist Club is planning a poker tournament for Sept. 23 at the North Hill Inn to raise funds for the cause. For more information, call 403-358-9999.

For more about the Red Deer Walk for ALS or to volunteer, call Michelle Parker at 403-342-5730 or D. Hanson at 403-358-9999.

For more information, check out www.alsab.ca.

mweber@reddeerexpress.com