Elizabeth Grandbois named to Terry Fox Hall of Fame

Burlington ALS advocate founded Elizabeth's Concert of Hope; raised $2.5 million to combat fatal neuromuscular disease

Burlington's Elizabeth Grandbois continues to be recognized for her determination to rid the world of the fatal neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, Grandbois has devoted much of her life to finding a cure after being diagnosed with ALS a decade ago. Her efforts have landed her a spot in the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.

She'll be officially inducted into the hall at a ceremony in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 5

Grandbois -- already a 2004 Governor General award winner and 2003 Halton Woman of the Year -- joins other notable Terry Fox Hall of Fame inductees that include former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Lincoln Alexander, basketball legend Jack Donohue, Paralympics Games Olympian and medallist Frank Bruno, world heavyweight boxing champion Whipper Billy Watson, Man in Motion World Tour's Rick Hansen, and Canada's first quadriplegic Member of Parliament Steven Fletcher.

According to the hall of fame's website, Grandbois has worked "tirelessly" to increase public awareness and understanding of ALS.

"When she found out how little was known about the disease she felt she had to do something. Elizabeth's Concert of Hope first took place in 2001 and over the next 6 years the concerts have raised $2.5 million for ALS research and support services."

The website also refers to Grandbois's 2002 published book In Dreams, calling it, "an inspiration to other people living with ALS", and mentions the one-hour documentary Elizabeth's Hope, which has been shown to more than 8,000 viewers nationally and internationally.

ALS is an illness the Burlington resident has been living with since 1997, exceeding the 2-5 year life expectancy of those diagnosed with the disease.

After her diagnosis, Grandbois came up with the idea to host Elizabeth's Concert of Hope in Hamilton. She wanted to raise money for ALS patients and raise awareness of the disease. Her belief was that increasing the profile of ALS could lead to more funding for research and, eventually, a cure. The final local concert was held in February 2006. It was soon followed by a national tour of concerts from Vancouver, BC to Corner Brook, NF.

Part of the money raised to date has gone to create an appropriate waiting room for ALS patients at a clinic at McMaster hospital.

The Terry Fox Hall of Fame is a national public awareness project of the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP).

Located on the ground floor of Toronto's Metro Hall, the Hall of Fame is a tribute to the outstanding achievements of Canadians with disabilities and the people who have served their cause with such distinction.

"People with disabilities have a tremendous record of accomplishment," said hall of fame founder and CFPDP chair Vim Kochhar, on its website. "They face down challenges every day of their lives and they do it with such dignity and humour. The Terry Fox Hall of Fame is our way of honouring their achievements."

Since 1993, 61 Canadians have been recognized at the hall's annual induction ceremonies. Members are elected by an independent selection board chaired by The Honourable David Crombie, chairman of the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.