We got a nifty note this weekend from PE teacher Pat Roberts in which he shared that next week, his wife Tanya and son Riley will be cycling with him from Canada to Mexico in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
According to the ALS Association, it is a neurodegenerative disease that causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. A common first symptom is a painless weakness in a hand, foot, arm or leg, which occurs in more than half of all cases. Other early symptoms include speech swallowing or walking difficulty.
For Roberts, the journey is personal as it affects his father-in-law. His family, calling themselves 'Arnett's Army' said that in addition to riding for dad/father-in-law/grandpa, "we're also riding for the thousands of other people who are battling it, as well as future victims."
To support Arnett's Army, visit their fundraising site at: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?px=2160661&fr_id=7531&pg=personal.
