Ron was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in November 2014 and bravely fought this horrible disease until his passing May 6, 2019. Our hearts are broken from the loss of such a wonderful man. Like so many others before him ALS took him when he was far too young. This would have been Ron's seventh Walk to Defeat ALS established by the Florida Chapter of the ALS Association.

ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis and there is no known cause, treatment or cure. 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 and strikes Veterans at more than double the rate of non-Veterans.

ALS is not known nearly as much as other widely known diseases such as cancer, heart disease or AIDS and consequently does not receive near the funding (private or government) for research or treatment as those other diseases.

Unfortunately, ALS is an extremely expensive disease costing an average $200,000 a year to provide the care ALS patients need. Also, due to the specialized care required for an ALS patient most skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities are not able to accept or care for ALS patients, leaving the extensive burden of care completely on the family.

So, in memory of Ron our team is committed to raising money to support people in our community with ALS and spread awareness of the urgency to find the cause, treatment and a cure. Please consider joining our team in the Walk to Defeat ALS(R) or choose a team member from the list and donate to our cause.

Thank you for helping us reach our fund raising goal!

Together we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by ALS.

Sharon Harper