Daughters revive Miles for Monte
BY LINDA BLASER | STAFF WRITER
lblaser@pioneerlocal.com

When Emily Briner DeMayo looked around at all the young families affected by Lou Gehrig's disease at a benefit at Wrigley Field in July, she decided it was time to bring back the "Miles for Monte" walk her father started in 1989.

Though her father died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, eight years ago and was diagnosed 14 years before that, little has changed for those afflicted with it.

"It's pretty mind-boggling," she said.

ALS typically affects people in their 30s and 40s; most people are given a prognosis of three or four years.

That's why DeMayo and her mom Debbie Briner of Lincolnshire will co-captain a "Miles for Monte" team in the Les Turner ALS Walk4Life at Montrose Harbor on Sunday.

Monte Briner was the driving force behind the original "Miles for Monte," a benefit held in Lincolnshire during the 1990s that raised nearly $1 million for ALS research and drew more than 1,200 people in its final year.

"Our hope is to raise money to go toward research so that young families struggling with our exact situation won't have to face that heartache any longer," said Debbie Briner. "I would've hoped by now (22 years later) they would have treatment, if not a cure. It's been a long time."

Younger sister Liz Briner of Lincolnshire, who now works for the Les Turner ALS Foundation, said the timing was right to bring back her dad's walk.

"I felt that after eight years it was time to go out there again," Liz Briner said. "It has been so long and there's still no new discovery. Obviously, there still needs to be a lot of money raised" for research.

Jim Derleth of Deerfield, a close friend of their dad's and one of the founding members of the original "Miles for Monte" annual event said he was "ecstatic" when the Briner girls called him. Derleth jumped at the request.

"It was such a terrific event," he said. "Miles for Monte was such a labor of love for all of us."

Monte's death hit many people personally, Derleth said.

"Now seeing his daughters trying to drive it (the walk), it just touches your heart," said Derleth, who is now a member of the Les Turner Foundation board. "It's a wonderful opportunity to honor Monte's memory again."

Anyone who would like to walk or contribute can get more information on the walk should go to www.lesturnerals.org or call the foundation at (847) 679-3311.

Registration is at 9 a.m.; the walk begins at 10 a.m.

"Ultimately, we want to find a cure," DeMayo said. "Because it's a neurological disorder, ALS is linked to Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's. Once a breakthrough is made in understanding one of the diseases, the others will follow."

Debbie Briner said she is proud of both of her daughters for taking steps to try to find a cure for ALS.

"I definitely think Monte is smiling down on both of them," Debbie Briner said. "He'd be absolutely thrilled."