Towering 19,000+ feet over the African countryside, Mt. Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most daunting peaks. For 26-year-old Jared King of New York City, climbing the mountain is a worthwhile challenge to undertake and represents the fulfillment of two longtime personal goals.
Ray Spooner, a certified nurse midwife who has ushered thousands of babies into the world, took the Ice Bucket Challenge in summer of 2014 to raise awareness about ALS. At the time, ALS “was just of jumble of letters to us,” said Ray’s wife of 33 years, Rae. Soon though, those letters would take on a . . .
Brian Eviston shares the personal reason he chose to participate in his local MDA Lock-Up.
This Father’s Day, we’re recognizing an extraordinary MDA dad. Josh Argall was initially devastated by his son Devin’s DMD diagnosis, but once the shock wore off, he resolved to do everything he could for his son and all MDA families. “I can’t discover the new medicine, I can’t provide healthcare, but I can contribute to the mission in my own way, so that’s what I decided to do…There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for MDA. Knowing how these parents feel and these children feel, that’s what keeps me going.”
The inaugural “Ride for Ray” honors Ray Spooner, whose “Little Ride” across the country for MDA raised more than $80,000 for ALS research and support services. A year after his death in August 2016, cyclists from across the country will join family, friends and local supporters to continue the work Ray started.
Sophia Spooner will be hiking the Pacific Coast Trail to raise funds for MDA in memory of father, Ray Spooner, who lived with ALS.
When Jone See, a devoted mother of five and doting grandmother to nine, was diagnosed with ALS in December 2014, her loving family and large group of friends channeled their energy into raising money for a cure through the ALS Bike Trek MN. Jone, who passed away on May 3, won’t be there to cheer the team on in person this year, but her spirit, optimism and hope for a cure lives on.
Martha Moore Gomez already has a full schedule as a busy human resources executive for a homebuilding company Mattamy Homes. Work travel takes her throughout North America, but when it comes to volunteering for MDA, she says, “You make time for what’s important to you, and this is what’s important to me.”
The deafening roar of thousands of motorcycles is music to Julie Harris’s ears. To her, that rumble means one thing: “Hope.” This weekend, the Reading Fairgrounds in Eastern Pennsylvania will be filled with Julie’s favorite sounds. That’s because the 30th Annual MDA Ride for Life is speeding into town.
Almost exactly one year ago, in the spring of 2016, Kade McCann learned he had myotonic dystrophy. For this young athlete, the diagnosis stopped him in his tracks.
