Fight ALS.

Why I Ride...

I will be participating in the Golden West Chapter of The ALS Association's Napa Valley Ride to Defeat ALS and Walk. I ride to support those affected by Lou Gehrig's Disease and to spread awareness for the urgency to find treatments and a cure. I ride because my brother Kevin died from ALS on Jan 5, 2021 because there was no cure for this awful disease. Kevin loved to ride and this cause was what he focused on from the day he was diagnosed in July 2019.

What is ALS? 

Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. Anyone who has ALS will tell you that it is like being trapped in a glass coffin. Your mind is working but your body slowly stops working and you become trapped inside and for people like Kevin it was so hard to be dependent on other people to do everything for him.

Why We Need Your Help

Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. 

1. The average life expectancy of an ALS patient is two to five years from the time of diagnosis. Kevin died in less than two years from when he noticed the first symptoms in February 2019.

2. Every 90 minutes someone in this country is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. For me, the fact that Veterans are twice as likely to get ALS and because it has affected so many fellow alumni from West Point, just like Kevin, it is very personal.

3. ALS can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cause of the disease. Someone you know or love may die from ALS unless a cure is found. 

4. Caring for a loved one with ALS costs on average of $200,000 each year.