Walking for the Cause: Hundreds to WALK for ALS in Toronto on June 6

May 26, 2009 - PRLog -- To a man revered for his storytelling and teaching abilities, losing his voice was devastating.  For journalist Jerry Gladman, it was just the beginning.

Doctors initially thought Gladman had suffered a stroke or had developed a minor neuromuscular condition.  Gladman was convinced his symptoms were indicative of something much worse.  His suspicions were confirmed when, after months of testing, he was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2003.

ALS took a rapid course in Gladman, robbing him of his mobility in less than a year. Gladman chronicled his journey with ALS in a four-part series, “Living and Dying with ALS.”  The series offered an intimate, and often humorous, account of the physical and emotional ups and downs typical of the disease.  His work won him the feature writing prize at Sun Media's 2003 Edward Dunlop Awards.  Gladman succumbed to ALS in June 2004.  

Though his father has been gone nearly five years, Jesse Gladman is actively involved in building awareness and raising funds to help those living with the fatal neurodegenerative disease.  Gladman created “Gladman’s Gang” in 2008, raising close to $10,000 at the Toronto WALK for ALS.  He’s pulling the team together again in 2009 for the Toronto walk on June 6 at Wilket Creek Park. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 5 km walk at 10 a.m.  

“Events like the WALK for ALS are important to show people living with the disease that they’re not alone, and that maintaining a decent quality of life is possible both for them and their relatives,” says Gladman. “Organizations like ALS Ontario, which provided us with care and equipment, allow people like my father to remain in their homes and live and die with dignity.  Events such as the WALK for ALS help make this support possible.”

Now in its ninth year, the WALK for ALS is the ALS Society of Ontario’s signature event and largest annual fundraiser.  In 2008, more than 5,000 participants raised $1.15 million. Seventy per cent of the proceeds fund the province’s equipment and support services programs, while the remaining 30 per cent funds research towards a cure. In 2008, Toronto raised more than $120,000.  Toronto is one of seven locations in the GTA and 28 across Ontario holding walks this year.  

“The ALS Society of Ontario’s goal is to help ease the physical, emotional and financial burdens ALS creates,” says Maureen Sheahan, President & CEO, ALS Society of Ontario.  “With the help of volunteers and supporters across the province, we’ve grown the WALK for ALS into our most successful and anticipated event.  We ask the public to help us continue this success story in 2009.”

For more information, or to support the walk, visit www.walkforals.ca.

ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal and rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease affecting more than 1,000 Ontarians and their families. There is no cure or effective treatment. Eighty per cent of those affected die within two to five years of diagnosis.  The ALS Society of Ontario is a non-profit organization committed to providing equipment and support services to increase quality of life and provide independence, dignity, hope and choice to people with ALS.

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About the ALS Society of Ontario: The ALS Society of Ontario is a registered non-profit organization committed to providing the necessary equipment and support services to people with ALS and their families, as well as supporting Canadian ALS research. The Society provides loan and purchase assistance for essential medical equipment; information and referral for people with ALS, their caregivers, families and communities; peer support and referrals to counseling and support groups; home visiting; educational materials about ALS for healthcare providers, students, people with ALS, and others; and in-service training about ALS and the Society to the healthcare community. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal and rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease affecting more than 1,000 Ontarians. ALS robs most of those afflicted of the ability to move, speak and eventually breathe. Eighty per cent of those diagnosed die within two to five years of diagnosis.