Walk to Defeat ALS
ALS takes a special spot in the hearts of everyone here at Collision Center of Andover. The wife of our owner and manager, Ben Lawrence, suffers from the disease, so we leapt at the opportunity to support The ALS Association’s search for treatment and hopefully – eventually – a cure.
More on ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease as it’s better known, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects brain and spinal cord nerve cells. Those afflicted will eventually lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement. This often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis, and for some reason, veterans are twice as likely to develop the disease.
More on the Walk
September each year, the Walk to Defeat ALS occurs along the Wichita waterfront, hoping to raise money to help overcome the disease. Last year alone, the citizens of Wichita helped to raise over $150,000 dollars. The goal this year is $215,000, and with any lucky, we’ll be able to band together to reach it.
Anyone can volunteer for the walk, and there’s no fee for entry. Plus, the route is wheelchair accessible! And activities on Walk Day include something for people of any age! All you have to do is show up on September 22nd and support a great cause. If you do wish to walk, however, be sure to register.
So please consider getting a team together, or walking individually if you’re the lone wolf type. You can even join a preexisting team if your friends have already started one. Who knows, maybe you’ll be directly contributing to a cure for ALS.
