Dear Friends & Family,
As you all know, we lost an extraordinary warrior in the fight against ALS last year—my mother. From the time Miles was diagnosed eight years ago, my mom attended every Napa Valley Ride to Defeat ALS, volunteering, cheering and tirelessly fundraising. She lost her fight against cancer just a month after last year's ride, an event that she had hoped to attend. So many of you gave generously to Team SMiles in her honor, prompting Miles to say, "Mom's still working her magic, even from heaven!" It meant the world to my family.
It's time once again for the event on Sept. 24. We hope you'll consider joining us for a beautiful ride in the Napa Valley, and helping us raise funds for care services, public policy initiatives and research for a cure for ALS.
Miles continues to get the most out of every day. His speech has slowed down, but he knows how to make himself understood (and he always has something interesting or funny to say!) He doesn't walk much anymore, but zips around the house in his power chair. He continues to engineer adaptations to enjoy life, including a lift to lower himself into his hot tub and a seat for his trail Segway. And he spends hours in his woodworking shop each day.
He is again the co-chair of the event and the face of the disease. More than ever, we feel the urgency in finding breakthroughs and hope for people with ALS. Promising new gene therapies are in the pipeline, but more funding is needed. Through your incredible generosity, we were able to raise close to a million dollars last year—making this the single largest ALS fundraising event in the country—and we hope to do it again. And for those of you who gave in my mother's honor, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
With so much love,
Jane and family
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