Hi, my name is Colleen and I was diagnosed with ALS in June of 2021. Symptoms (which I had no idea were symptoms) started showing up more than a year prior to my diagnosis. Now it is easy to look back and say ahhh because I know what the symptoms of ALS are, but back then, I had no idea.
I decided to hold the garage sale fundraiser very early this year as a way to have some kind of control over the disease which is not really controllable. Over the years I have helped others in their quests to fundraise for other diseases (shaving my head for Cancer, running a scavenger hunt for Cystic Fibrosis, etc), but never, did I ever think that I would some day be doing a fundraiser for a disease that had invaded my body.
Holding the garage sale would not have been possible without my community of family and friends. My mom and nieces in Regina provided donations for us to bring back at Easter. Other local friends and family provided items. Many helped with the HUGE task of setting up the sale (23 big tables, 3 shelving units and a driveway full of items). Then those who helped during the sale and with the packing up of items to be given to other charitable organizations after the sale.
Sooo much help from so many wonderful people who I love dearly and am privileged to have in my life. My biggest thanks has to go to my husband Ritchie who has always supported my charitable “adventures”, and who put in so much effort for the garage sale. He is such a trooper!
I’m very happy to say that the garage sale raised $1,400 and we are still selling items online, so hopefully the amount will grow a bit. The ALS Society has been a huge resource for me over the past year that I am happy to give back. Besides loaning me a scooter to do long “walks” with my husband and dog, the Society has provided me the opportunity to gather with others who also have ALS (via Zoom) to share information, visit and provide support for each other. These visits are very important to my mental well being and I am sad when I have to miss one.
I am hoping that this small gesture will encourage others to do something similar. We have all received and we all need to give back!