Dallas Crum of AMS Vans Will Run the ALS Run For Life 5K

April 29, 2011 - PRLog -- AMS Vans, a company that modifies, rents and sells wheelchair accessible vans to the general public, announced that their pre-owned inventory manager, Dallas Crum, will be participating in the Fifth Annual ALS Run for Life 5K, “A Race to End Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” The 5K race, sponsored by the non-profit organization Cure For ALS, will be held on May 7th, 2011 and will raise money for the Emory ALS Center, which researches treatments and cures for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is Mr. Crum’s third time participating in this event, and he says that he runs for God and those who are unable to run.

“Every race I run—all the training, all the effort I put into running—I do specifically for someone who is not able to do those things. This could be someone who may be going through something very difficult, or it could be someone who will never know what it is like to run or compete in an event,” said Crum about why he runs in these kinds of events. “I do not want to run for my own success or recognition but rather in all I do, do it for the glory of God.”

Crum credits his faith and his job with AMS Vans for opening his eyes to what individuals with ALS go through. “Being in the industry I am in, every day it seems that I talk to someone who either was just diagnosed with ALS, who has had ALS, or a relative of someone with ALS. Every time I speak with someone in that position, my heart weighs so heavily for them,” said Crum.

Crum also says that he was inspired by the courage of those with ALS, and he runs for those people and for God, rather than for himself. “I run for the people that God places in my life.” Crum also states that he donates anything he receives in these races to the people he runs for. “After I run the race for the person God put in my path, I give them the medal I receive if I get one from that particular race. Whatever I receive, I give to them because it is theirs.”

About the ALS Run for Life 5K, “A Race to End Lou Gehrig’s Disease”
ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disease that affects the nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. The ALS Run for Life 5K is an event designed to raise awareness of the disease and raise money for research into a cure for ALS. The event was started by the non-profit organization Cure For ALS in 2006, and is now in its fifth year. According to the ALS Run for Life 5K website, the run has raised $50,000 for ALS research.

About Cure For ALS:
The Cure For ALS organization is dedicated to supporting advocacy for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hosting fundraising events to raise money and awareness of ALS, as well as donating money to medical researchers in order to discover a cure for ALS. Cure For ALS is a family-run organization that began in 2006 when the eldest son in the family, Brian, got family and friends to sponsor his participation in triathlons for an ALS cure. Brian was moved to raise money for ALS research when he saw an athlete who had been diagnosed with ALS compete in the 2005 Ironman competition. Cure For ALS sponsors and participates in many different fundraising and awareness-raising events for ALS every year, including the ALS Cup For a Cure Soccer Tournament and other races to raise money for ALS research like the Run For Jeremy.

About the Emory ALS Center:
The Emory ALS Center is a medical facility that not only researches a cure for ALS, but is one of the leading care centers for patients with ALS and similar neurological diseases like muscular dystrophy. According to the Emory ALS Center website, the Center “is designed and dedicated to providing comprehensive care for people and families with ALS and related motor neuron diseases.” The center is nationally recognized by both the ALS Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

The Emory ALS Center is one of the leading research centers in the United States working to find a cure for ALS and other neurological conditions. The staff at the Emory ALS Center includes not only medical researchers, but physicians and nurses who are specially trained in issues related to ALS and other neurological diseases. These specially trained medical professionals offer care that targets the needs of ALS patients and their families, including occupational therapists, communication therapists, nutritionists, respiratory specialists, rehabilitation specialists, and more.

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About AMS Vans:
AMS Vans, Inc. sells wheelchair vans nationwide with a guaranteed low price on all newly converted AMS brand wheelchair van models. Buy, convert, trade, sell, or rent wheelchair accessible vans from AMS Vans, where prices are often thousands of dollars lower than the competition. The company is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities improve their own mobility and quality of life through taking care of their accessible transportation needs. AMS Vans offer adaptive mobility equipment solutions as well as over 150 handicap vans for sale online at www.amsvans.com