Towns and cities throughout the West Kootenay-Boundary are being called upon to take part in the 2025 Move to Cure ALS Walk, set for Saturday, June 14, at Gyro Park in Trail.
Move to Cure ALS is the annual signature fundraising event for the ALS Society of British Columbia, held throughout June in recognition of ALS Awareness Month in Canada.
The goal is to end ALS through the creation of a world-class ALS Centre at the University of British Columbia.
Twenty-four years ago, the very first ALS Walk in British Columbia was held in Nelson.
Then four years ago, organizers started the West Kootenay ‘Move to Cure ALS’ when the Greater Trail community joined forces in support of Aladina Sheets, a Trail mom, wife, sister and friend to many, who was diagnosed with ALS in March 2022. Sheets passed away just weeks before the 2024 Trail event.
Event organizers are now expanding the reach even farther, inviting participation from more than 15 communities across the region to include the Boundary.
After all, this incurable disease knows no bounds, affecting men and women usually aged 55 to 75 years old.
The lifetime chance of being diagnosed with ALS is one in 1,000.
This statistic — and the people living with ALS, their caregivers, and the memory of those lost — are the reasons why participants ‘Move.’
“ALS doesn’t discriminate, and we want to involve all the communities between Kaslo and across the lake in Crawford Bay, all the way to Rock Creek,” co-organizer Helen Bobbitt said.
Bobbitt explained that organizers are working to ensure municipalities are aware of the event so they can join the cause.
She encouraged participants and teams to register as soon as possible to allow the most time for both online and offline fundraising efforts.
Much has changed since the first walk in 2001, from medical research to the ways in which those diagnosed with ALS and their families are supported.
Trail resident Deanna Sellars ‘moves’ in memory of her father, Scott McReady, formerly of Fruitvale.
“My dad always lived life to the fullest and kept his sense of humour, despite having ALS,” she said.
“This diagnosis impacted our entire family. It is the last thing we expected to hear.”
Sellars, Bobbitt, and Wendy Marten of Fruitvale are organizing the 2025 event.
The organizers are also reaching out to communities for last-minute support.
“We would like a group to organize the BBQ that is set to take place on the day of the event as well as businesses who may want to support the event with prizes,” Bobbitt said.
Participants will be automatically entered into raffles to win prizes when they donate and receive a t-shirt.
“As much as can be raised to go to the ALS cause is what we are always aiming for,” she added.
For the latest updates, visit the event’s Facebook page, “2025 West Kootenay-Boundary ALS BC Move to A Cure Walk."
Organizers note that sponsors supporting the event will be on site June 14, offering gelato by donation with all proceeds going to the Trail walk.
Sellars shared her hopes for the 2025 event.
“At our walk this year, I hope to see a group of people all working together to raise as much money and awareness as we can to find an end to ALS.”
Organizers confirm that 100 per cent of proceeds will remain in British Columbia to support patient services programs and research.
About ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects the motor neurons responsible for carrying messages to muscles, resulting in weakness and wasting in the arms, legs, mouth, throat, and elsewhere.
Typically, a person is immobilized within two to five years of the initial diagnosis. There is no known cause or cure, but there is hope through the ALS Society of BC.
June is ALS Awareness Month in Canada, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the disease.
This devastating illness affects approximately 3,000 Canadians and their families at any given time.
Founded in 1981 by Dr. Andrew Eisen, the ALS Society of British Columbia helps patients and family members meet the physical and emotional needs of people living with the disease.
The society’s mission is to cure ALS through funding research, while advocating for and supporting people living with ALS.
