Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS hosts walk Saturday
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL)—The Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS Planning Team hosted its latest event on Saturday, and it was a memorable day for many families who have experienced an ALS diagnosis.
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. As ALS progresses, people with the disease lose control of muscle movement and the ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe. As of now, there is no cure for ALS.
News Channel 11 spoke with Stephanie Valencia, ALS Association Tennessee Chapter Director of Development:
“The Walk to Defeat ALS event is for the ALS community,” Valencia said. “It is a community event, it’s for them to come together, meet each other, share experiences, talk to other people, who are on the same journey, have walked the same journey that they are on.”
Flanagan Brothers’ ‘Paul’s Pilsner’ honors Kingsport native, raises money for ALS research
Highlights from Saturday’s walk include:
A $1,000 donation from seven-year-old Jackon Baker
Paul Codispoti’s friends honored his legacy by pushing his empty wheelchair in the walk
Actor Robert McCray presented Lou Gehrig’s “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth” speech
A prayer from Roger Mowen
Shared experiences from people living with ALS
Groups like the Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS Planning Team organize events to raise awareness and generate donations for ALS research.
The Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS Planning Team is a part of the ALS Association.
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