On the way home from Portland, the day of Steve’s official diagnosis, he turned to me and said, “Well, I guess we’re called to serve the ALS community.” Oh, how I love that attitude and that strength of spirit. I love how Steve has determined to turn this thing around by doing everything he can to help as many people as he can. ALS is not a cause we probably would have chosen as a family, but it is the cause that chose us. And every last one of us is determined to lend every bit of energy or influence we have to make sure that Steve’s fight is a victory for many.
The event we’re most excited about is the Walk to Defeat ALS coming up this fall. It’s a fun event and it contributes so much to funding the great work of the ALS Association. Here are some facts you should know:
- It costs an average of $200,000 per year to care for an ALS patient.
- One minute of ALS research costs $80.
- Most people would agree that few diseases are more damaging or difficult, and yet the search for a cure remains underfunded.
- The ALS Association gives part of their money to research and the other part to making life work for patients and families fighting ALS. They provided us with our awesome social worker, Kathleen, as soon as they heard of Steve’s diagnosis. They are compassionate, knowledgeable and fiercely committed to finding a cure.
- The ALS Association also lobbies for the needs of ALS-effected individuals and families in congress every May. They have worked hard to advocate for some relatively simple things that make a big difference to those dealing with this disease (like getting the six-month waiting period for social security disability eliminated.)
The Walk to Defeat ALS will take place on a date that is really easy to remember:
9-10-11
It will cover the 3-mile loop at River Bend Park from 11-12. It’s going to be SUPER FUN and we would LOVE to have YOU join TEAM STERN! (Do those ALL CAPS convince you?) We’re currently planning something very exciting for our Team and – you’re going to think I’m crazy, but here goes – we’re hoping for FIVE HUNDRED people on Team Stern!
500
Yes! Sometimes I think we’re crazy, but then I remember my husband and the life that he’s lived and the way he’s invested in people and in our community and I think, “No problem!”
There is no entrance fee, but when you sign up you will be asked to set a fund raising goal (you can skip that step if you’d like) which could be anywhere from $1 to $10,000! You can ask your mom, your neighbor, your employer – anyone who’s thankful to be able to walk, talk and breathe would probably be willing to part with a dollar or two in order to help others enjoy that same future. We’ll take ANY walkers with ANY donation – and we’d love it if your kids and grandkids would come and walk too. There’s something about the littles that puts the FUN in fundraising!
So, we would like to raise a LOT of money on that day, and we also want to show our community that we care about the 16 families in our region who are living with this terrible disease.
However, please note: these funds do NOT go to us! This is ALL about helping the ALS Association and the work that they do for families and research.
You’ll receive: a fantastically sporty TEAM STERN t-shirt and some other awesome surprises that are still in development.
Here’s the link where you can sign up or donate money to a specific walker. Also, if you have or know of a company that would like to sponsor our team for this event, we’d be so excited to include their logo on our t-shirts and splash it all over our social networks. Just give me a shout!
It’s not too soon to sign up – and you can always make changes later if something comes up. But for now, we would find it GREATLY encouraging to see those 500 spots starting to fill up. So, have at it and call your friends and family and ask them to take a walk with you in September. It’s gonna be a great day, friends! Together, we can make a difference.
AMAZING UPDATE #1: 90 minutes in and we have filled FORTY spots on TEAM STERN! Oh, I haven’t had a morning this fun in a very long time. Thank you, thank you friends!
AMAZING UPDATE #2: Now we have filled SEVENTY spots on TEAM STERN. Please know that every time I see a new name on the list, I either get all teary or I do a silly dance. You really don’t want to see either one of those things…but keep those sign-ups coming in. We are going to help so many people!!
we gonna try our best to be there!
OH sister, that would be AMAZING! You would definitely win the Who Came the Farthest prize which includes a home cooked dinner at my house! I love you. 🙂
Steve always has had a great attitude. Part of why I think so much of him. Looking forward to this walk.
Thank you so much, Randy. You and Ellen are an inspiration to me, even though I know I’m going to be eating your dust on 9/10/11!
we’ll be there!
I love you, dear Andersons!
We would Love to come and be part of Team Stern.
Love you guys!
Yay, Leonard and Carol! Thank you so much – we can’t wait to see you!
Signed a few family members up…working on a few more! =)
Awesome, Rachel…you guys are wonderful to join us. It’s going to be a fun and fruitful day!
Just signed up our whole family… we consider it a privilege to be able to join your team!
Thank you, Askews! We appreciate your family so much.
Count us in. We will be there.
Yeah, Team Stern!
Team Wolfe will be in on this, no doubt!!!
This is a perfect pre-curser to what I’d like to see happen early June 2012: a Strength for Steve 5k event I’ve been dreaming of lately!
Go team!!!
Love,
Jill
Team Wolfe will be able to run 18 miles by the time the rest of us finish 3…and that’s why we LOVE you so much! Thank you. (“Strength for Steve”? Totally makes me cry)
Hey Bo,
We will be there. That will be my exciting little boys and my mama. I’d love to support your team.
Thank you, Amanda!
Beyond excited to say I will be there IN PERSON not just in spirit this time. Oh, that makes me so so excited for this season ahead and getting to be near you and your marvelous family. I love you Sterns. Not a little. A lot.
Oh…this little comment just made me all sorts of happy. Can’t even BELIEVE you’ll be with us that day. Lovely. Just too, too lovely.
This is going to be great! I have three of us signed up with a possible fourth. Our Taylor will be in Germany but she already said she’ll still walk in Steve’s honor that day.
Thank you, awesome Inmans! You’ve already walked this whole road with us…it wouldn’t be right to walk this stretch without you.
Pearsons are in!
1-3 Farrell’s will give their support if we can’t make the walk, but tentatively PLANNING on walking. Just marked it in pen on the calender.
Thank you, Jalet – your prayer support has meant the world to us. Thank you so much for all your encouragement.
Thank you, Lila! I love you, sister!
I gotta look way into my schedule and check to see if that is my 24 hour shift weekend or my every other 48 hour shift weekend. I will be there if it isn’t my 48. :o)
If I calculated right its my 24, now lets see if I can figure out how to sign up for team Stern! I may need help LOL
Thank you so much, Tabitha – let me know if you have any trouble figuring out the site (it’s a little cumbersome).
You can count on the Mennos from the other side of the hill (well, the other side of Pilot Butte) being there!
Thank you, Mrs. B! We’re so glad to have you on the team! (We welcome the other side of the hill, the tracks, the mountain, etc.)
I went to put this on my calendar and it’s already there! Sooo…if you don’t already have us- Dan and I are sooo TEAM STERN!
Love you Sterns!!
Thank you, wonderful Belles! We love you!
What fun! We want to play.
Yay, Brad & Cynthia! You can sign up at the ALSA site – I linked it in the post because it’s kind of complicated to find otherwise. We would be so honored to have you on the team!
Well, I signed the five Imhoff’s up but we can’t figure out if we’re officially on Team Stern… Well we’ll be there… Love you guys!
Thanks, Rob – I got the email so yep, you did it right! 🙂