by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
More than 1,000 people walked Saturday to raise almost $165,000 for ALS research and patient assistance.
The eighth annual 2-mile walk began and ended in the Tinseltown parking lot on Southside Boulevard. More than 80 teams participated.
Donations are accepted for the walk until July. The 2011 goal is $195,000.
ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gerhrig’s disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe, while the patient retains his or her senses and the mind remains sharp.
There is no known cure. The life expectancy of patients averages two to five years after diagnosis.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Assistant City General Counsel Ernst Mueller, who was diagnosed with ALS in September 2008, presented a speech through a voice-generatlon machine.
He thanked everyone for attending, especially the relatives and friends who walked with “Mueller’s Marchers.”
“It tells me that you care,” he said.
For more information about ALS and the walk, visit http://webfl.alsa.org.
356-2466