ALS rally rolling into Comox


Jul 20 2007


David Fox has the first few segments of a wheelchair odyssey to raise awareness about ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Fox will roll Tuesday from Campbell River to Comox to launch the 2007 On A Roll for ALS. After a rally and barbecue Tuesday in Comox Marina Park at about 4 p.m., Fox heads to Bowser the next day.

Others will join him as the fifth annual Roll continues on its way to Victoria on July 31. ALS patients living in B.C. will participate in a portion of the Roll, breaking the journey down into shorter distances.

Since 2003, over $150,000 has been raised to support patient services on Vancouver Island. Mike Pellatt, Rick Wilkinson and Bob Philips have participated in previous years.

ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a neuromuscular degenerative disorder that affects the person’s motor neurons that carry messages to the muscles resulting in weakness and wasting in arms, legs, mouth, throat and elsewhere. Typically, the person is immobilized or deceased within two to five years of the initial diagnosis. It is always fatal.

In the later stages of the disease the person with ALS often cannot speak, swallow or move anything but the eyes, although the mind remains alert.

In B.C., there are over 300 people living with ALS. The ALS Society of B.C. was founded by ALS patients, their family members and health care professionals to meet the physical and emotional needs of people with ALS and their caregivers.

To make a donation, be a roller or volunteer to help, contact 250-247-8035.
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