Gill Foundation Executive Director Rodger McFarlane, along with Rocky Mountain ALS Chapter Executive Director Kristin Bennett, recently appeared on “Colorado and Company” to raise awareness about ALS – otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The show aired June 26 on KUSA-TV, Channel 9, and focused on the upcoming 2005 Rocky Mountain Walk to D’Feet ALS, which is the primary fundraising effort for services provided by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the ALS Association.
ALS is a fatal neuromuscular disease that affects nearly the same number of people as MS; however, because most ALS patients die within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis there is no population of affected individuals, and therefore, very little awareness about the disease. To date, there is no known cause, cure or treatment for this most cruel, paralyzing, fatal disease.
Having authored three books on care-giving for the chronically ill, most notably The Complete Bedside Companion: No Nonsense Advise on Caring for the Seriously Ill (Simon & Schuster, 1998), Rodger McFarlane is a known expert on the subject. He and Kristin Bennett are working together, not-only raise awareness for the ALS Association, but also help families struggling through the experience of providing long-term care.
The Gay & Lesbian Fund has sponsored the fundraising and awareness walk to help the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the ALS Association raise thousands of dollars for patient services (such as medical equipment, respite care, home visits, communication devices, grief counseling, support groups) and research to help us find a cause and cure for ALS.
The 2005 Rocky Mountain Walk to D’Feet ALS will take place on September 17 at Denver’s Pepsi Center. In October, similar walks will also take place in Grand Junction and Fort Collins.
For more information about the ALS Association and to register for the Walk, visit www.alsaco.org.
