HUGO Fund, Friends Slate 5K Walk To Battle ALS
POSTED: August 7, 2008

Keven Hulings, founder of the HUGO Fund, has been active in raising funds to help individuals suffering from debilitating conditions who wish to be free of the confines of institutional living.


Keven Hulings of Falconer is one determined guy. Since 1991 he has been living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - better know as Lou Gehrig's disease - and he feels that his life isn't ending but is instead taking a new direction.

''I chose to live with Lou Gehrig's disease rather than die because of it,'' Hulings said. He also added, ''ALS saved my life.''

Could that be, could this debilitating disease give him life? Hulings feels that the new direction his life had to take because of the disease was actually a wake up call to do something useful with his life and to quit, as he says, ''all that ramming around.''

One of the facets of his new direction was to begin the HUGO Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. This growing account can provide help to individuals with debilitating conditions who are working to return to their home and become free from the confines of institutional living.

The HUGO Fund helps individuals cut through the mass of paperwork, acquire specialized equipment, arrange home environments, etc., so that returning home or remaining at home can become a reality.

Soon, The Friends of HUGO came into existence. It is the fundraising arm of the HUGO Fund. Funds raised sometimes go directly into providing services for individuals and sometimes the funds are added to the HUGO Fund at the CRCF. The Friends are always eager to work with Hulings on some new adventure that raises money, awareness or spirits.

The new adventure that has The Friends busy currently is a 5K walk to raise funds for ALS research set to take place in Falconer on Saturday, Aug. 23. The Muscular Dystrophy Association, which also works with ALS patients and their families, will be highly involved. The walk is the second annual event, called HUGO's Walk for Uncle Lou, organized by Hulings and The Friends.

The event will feature all the pieces of a 5K race that walkers and runners have come to expect including pledge sheets, T-shirts, food, music and fellowship. For pledge sheets, call Hulings at 665-3621. They are also available from race organizers.

Currently, the organizers are looking for sponsors (cash donations to sponsor a particular facet of the race), donors (time, food, prizes) and walkers/runners (those who get pledges and participate as part of the fundraising arm of this event).

Pre-registration will take place at the Falconer American Legion from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16. Jim Roselle from WJTN will be present to help promote the walk and to record a ''The Times of Our Lives'' program.

Registration on the day of the race will take place at the Falconer Park beginning at 8 a.m., and the race will begin from the park at 10 a.m. The race route will be well-defined and go through the streets of Falconer. After the race, which ends back at the park, there will be fun and food. Maurice Brown and the Mountain Railroad Band will provide music, and Chinese auction prizes will be available.

This race is the first of its kind in the southern part of Chautauqua County. This is an opportunity to work/run/walk to come up with a cure for ALS.



http://post-journal.com/page/content....html?nav=5004