Positively Plymouth: Spin to win
Bicycling event to raise funds to fight ALS Friday at Riverview Middle School
By Allison Thompson • Press correspondent • February 5, 2009

[IMG][/IMG]
Participants ride during a prior Blazeman Spin-A-Thon event to raise funds for the fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease. This year's Spin-A-Thon is Friday in Plymouth.


It's a disease that is lethal.



It kills 17 people every hour and it affects people ages 30 to 70.

The disease is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. There is no cure.

Tom Lawn hopes the community will help make a difference. He is organizing one of a dozen Blazeman Spin-A-Thons for ALS, which will be held this weekend across the U.S. and Canada.

The local event is scheduled for 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, in the fitness center at Riverview Middle School in Plymouth.

Participants can bike for as many hours as they wish.

"Anyone that can ride a bike can come," Lawn said. "It's not competitive. It's not a spin class. People are spinning and talking."

Inspirational music will be played throughout the event as will messages about the disease and what the Spin-A-Thons' cause is about. There will also be a video about Jon Blais, also known as Blazeman, who was diagnosed with ALS in May 2005 and became a champion for the cause.

"What makes this story special is what Jon did once he was diagnosed," Lawn said. "Rather than feel sorry for himself, Jon took action, becoming a voice for ALS so that others may live."

An award-winning athlete, Blais didn't let the disease stop him from reaching his goal. He participated in the Ironman (triathlon) World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in 2005, an exclusive event in which only the best-of-the-best triathletes qualify to compete. It takes about 16 hours to complete.

"I know personally how difficult this race is since I competed in the event a few years earlier," said Lawn, who added that watching the video about Blais' journey is moving.

"It gets emotional when you see him crossing the finish line and the next year they show him in a wheelchair and then the empty wheelchair," he said.

"It's hard to finish when you are strong and healthy," said Debbie Posewitz, an event co-chair who has also competed in triathlons. "If you have any kinds of limitations, it's hard to fathom how anyone can do that."

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that slowly renders the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord useless. Eventually, the muscles in the body waste away until the person, whose mind has continued to function normally, is unable to breathe, speak or swallow. There is no cure and most people diagnosed with ALS die within five years.

ALS was first diagnosed 1869, but treatment hasn't changed over the years.

"What was offered to (baseball great) Lou Gehrig (in the late 1930s) is what is offered nowadays," said Posewitz, whose 14-year-old son will also participate in the Spin-A-Thon.

"The problem is that once you are diagnosed, you rarely have two to three years to live," Lawn said. "We are trying to educate people that don't know about this. A lot of people don't realize that it's that bad. You hear about cancer, but some of them are curable. As of today, ALS is not curable. It's a very debilitating disease."

Posewitz, wellness coordinator for Orion Energy, knows that times are tough economically, but is hoping that people will reach into their wallets to help make a difference.

"It's difficult to think of giving when all of us are tightening our belts, but even if it's a little amount, every bit is welcome. It's nice to do something for other people and to be thankful for the blessings you have. It's a good way to teach their kids about charity, and it's real simple."

To participate in the Spin-A-Thon, people can bring their own bikes and attach them to a trainer to make it a stationary bike, or borrow one of the stationary bikes available at the school. A $25 personal donation or $100 in collected donations is required to participate. Proceeds will be donated to the Blazeman Foundation, the organization Blais founded for ALS research and support for ALS patients.

Door prizes will be presented. No purchase is required. Sponsors for the event include Attitude Sports, Bicycle Works, Nestle Nutrition, Mill Street Shops, Pick and Save and Rochester Inn in Sheboygan Falls.

Individuals who don't wish to ride can still stop by the Spin-A-Thon, make a donation and cheer on the participants. Donations can also be made online at www.active.com /donate/spinforals/ plymouth.



http://www.sheboyganpress.com/articl...407/1097/SHE04