Paul Downey & Stephanie Williams were part of the Santa Claus Parade last weekend in Fort McMurray giving out Save the Dates for the 2019 Fort Mac WALK for ALS. They did such a fantastic job spreading awareness in the parade with their float! What a great start to the holiday season!
6th Annual Lloydminster Fire Department Rooftop Campout
A massive thank you to the Lloydminster Fire Fighter's Association for raising an incredible $24,547 at their 6th Annual Rooftop Camp Out!
The continued support of the ALS Society is a reflection of the tremendous compassion and generosity in the Lloydminster community. Thank you to all who participated and for your continued dedication in making each day the best day possible for those living with ALS.
Family screening of The Grinch
Nearly 100 people were in attendance yesterday at a private screening of The Grinch. Thank you to Glen Jarbeau and family for creating such a warm and inviting atmosphere for families affected by ALS!
9th Annual Judy Schweitzer ALS Curl for a Cure
The 9th Annual Judy Schweitzer ALS Curl for a Cure was a success in Red Deer yesterday! Thank you to Carrie Mello for organizing another fantastic event and to everyone who attended!
2018 Moro Memorial Ride
Congratulations to Payton Moro for not only surpassing her goal of raising over $5000 for her annual Moro Memorial Ride with YYC Cycle - Spin Studio for the ALS Society, but for also being a recipient of the Leader of Tomorrow award last night at our Appreciation Event. Thank you for bringing so much energy and compassion to the ALS cause!
The Grinch Private Screening: November 18
Bring your families and friends to a private screening (no admission) of The Grinch on November 18 at the City Centre Landmark Theatre in Edmonton! RSVP to alscommunications@alsab.ca by November 9th.
Pickleball Tournament
A special thank you to Wendy Schilling and Frieda Vanherck for donating $1,240 from their pickleball tournament. We are so grateful for your contribution to the Society!
Phi Delta Theta 24-Hour Teeter Totter Marathon
Phi Delta Theta was out on the University of Alberta’s main quad for their annual 24-HourTeeter Totter Marathon!. You can also donate online here: https://bit.ly/2IycFpX.
Lethbridge WALK for ALS
The Lethbridge WALK for ALS raised $35,000 on Saturday morning, and counting! Congratulations to top fundraiser Joyce Berg on your achievements, and thank you to the Thom family and friends for your continued support with the WALK! Thank you to all donors, participants and sponsors!
Hinton WALK for ALS
It was an incredible morning at the Hinton WALK for ALS on Sunday, raising $8,500 and counting! A huge thank you to our Hinton WALK Ambassador Helen Banks, WALK coordinators Deena Fuller & Sandi Rasmussen-Connolly and to all donors, participants and sponsors! Great work to all the teams that participated including Kickin’ It for Kenny and Helens Heroes!
Big Drew's Big Ride
This year marked the fifth and final Big Drew's Big Ride in support of the ALS Society of Alberta. Event organizer, Jim Robinson, created this event with his best friend Drew, after Drew was diagnosed with ALS. Five years later, this event has raised over $58,000 for ALS, has brought over 100 riders together of all ages that have clocked thousands of kilometers along the Legacy Trail. Thank you Jim, for your incredible dedication over the past five years. What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful friendship.
CalFrac 150 Putt Fore Charity
Thank you Crescent Point Energy for supporting the ALS Society of Alberta through the CalFrac 150 Putt Fore Charity! An exceptional $1,875 was raised!
AOC Golf Tournament
Wow!! We are completely blown away by the generosity from the golf tournament on Tuesday! $4,800 was raised along with an additional $450 that was graciously donated by the 50/50 winner, bringing the total to $5,250!!
Thank you to Jeff Goyer, Kelsey Smith and everyone on the AOC board committee for all your hard work and incredible support!
Summer Newsletter
Howard Smith Memorial ALS Team Roping
We were honoured to attend the annual Howard Smith Memorial ALS Team Roping on Sunday and accept a cheque for $2,475! Thank you to the Smith family for all that you do to raise awareness and funds for ALS.
RFP Skip Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament
We had a great day raising awareness and funds for the ALS Society of Alberta out at the RFP Skip Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament! This was the second year the Society partnered with the tournament, and was able to raise $218 through the 50/50! Thank you to everyone who supported the ALS cause, and came out to this incredible tournament!
Birdies for Kids
We are thrilled to be a part of the Shaw Charity Classic Birdies for Kids fundraiser this year! Donations made to our organization through the online portal will be matched up to 50 per cent! Click here to donate:
2018 WALK for ALS Ambassador
The Hinton WALK for ALS is happening on September 9th and we'd like to introduce our 2018 WALK Ambassador for Hinton, Helen Banks.
"My name is Helen Banks and I am honoured to be the ambassador for the 2018 Hinton Walk for ALS. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that has taken away much of my mobility and ability to do things for myself. As there is no cure, the Walks for ALS are so important. My wish is that current research will soon provide for early detection and a treatment to slow or stop progression and hopefully someday provide a cure for ALS.
My journey started a few years back with slowly increasing difficulty walking up hills and stairs, loss of balance, stumbling and falling. It’s old age they said! Eventually my doctor decided these weren’t normal and sent me to a couple of neurologists who performed a number of tests with the end result being Dr. Kalra identifying my condition was ALS. Those words threw my family and me into shock.
Immediately a meeting was set up with the ALS team at the University of Alberta/Kaye Edmonton Clinic who shared with us what to expect and how to care for me. We meet regularly with this wonderful group to check my status and advise on actions if necessary. They referred me to the ALS Society who have been beyond words in providing equipment to assist with my mobility issues , personal support and providing a link to the health care systems in Edmonton and Hinton. The Society’s monthly coffee parties provided my husband Jim and me a chance to meet other patients in various stages of the disease and share day to day helpful hints. We plan to stay in touch via Skype.
When my Hinton family, Kim and Ryan Tew, heard of my diagnosis, they wanted to be part of my journey and aid Jim in my care as needed. Together we purchased the Bar-F Ranch House and we moved in June 2017. This has meant that the burden of care has been spread out and we have had some special family times.
We have become familiar with the Hinton Health Care system and have had a very positive experience,meeting knowledgeable and caring practitioners. My Case Manager in Hinton has been very responsive and made many suggestions that have really helped.
Although ALS has taken away my mobility and ability to do things, I try to keep this adventure as positive as I can, enjoying my family and friends and the beautiful scenery of Hinton and Jasper."
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Helen and we will see you all at the Hinton WALK for ALS!
2017 Annual Report
The ALS Society of Alberta is proud to present its 2017 report to the community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the ALS cause throughout 2017. It is because of this incredible community that we are able to work toward our mission of making each day the best possible day for people living with and affected by ALS.
ALS research webinar: From models in the laboratory to ALS therapies
When it comes to testing new therapeutic approaches for ALS, researchers have a wide variety of animal models to choose from. However, many drugs that have been shown to be effective in animal models have failed in human clinical trials, leading to the question: which animal models are the most effective for modeling human disease? In this webinar, Dr. Vincent Picher-Martel from Laval University will present some advantages and disadvantages of the animal models currently available for the study of ALS. He will also discuss his work using mice models to simulate mutations in Ubiquilin-2 and TDP-43, two genes known to contribute to the development of ALS.