2011 Hudson Valley Walk To deFeaT als

A Proud
Sponsor of the
Presents
2011 Hudson Valley Walk Presents
TO DEFEAT ALS
Presents
Presented
By The
ALS Association Greater New York Chapter
Sunday October 17, 2010
Sign up: Noon to 1pm
Walk: 1 to 4pm
Sunday November 15, 2009
Lunch
and
Refreshments
Sunday Sign
October
17, Noon
2010to 1pm ~ Walk: From 1 to 3pm
up: From
Sunday October
16,
2011
(rain
or shine)
at the
Poughkeepsie
Entrance to the
Sign up: Noon
to 1pm
Walkway Over the Hudson
Walk: 1 to 4pm
Refreshments
and
Lunch
(www.walkway.org)
Lunch and Refreshments
~The Longest Pedestrian Bridge in the World~
You can Register for the walk on-line at http://als-ny.org (link from this site will be activated by Oct
or by completing the coupon below
Name:____________________________________________________
at the Poughkeepsie Entrance to the
Email:____________________________________________________
Walkway Over the Hudson
Mailing Address:______________________________________________________________________
(www.walkway.org)
See you there…my donation for $______________ is enclosed.
at the Poughkeepsie
Entrance
theWorld~
~The Longest
Pedestrian
Bridge into
the
Walkway
Over
the
Hudson
I am unable
to attend
but my
donation for $________________ is enclosed.
at the Highland
Lot
at
75 Haviland
Road) Entrance to the
You can(Parking
Register for the
walk
on-line
at www.bit.ly/NDhudsonwalk
~The Walkway
Over the Hudson
(www.walkway.org)
Please
all checks
“ALS Association Greater New York Chapter”
(link from this site
will make
be activated
bypayable
May 1,to:
2010)
Longest Pedestrian
in the
World~
and Bridge
mark them, “ALS
Donation
in Memory of Gus Raspitha”
(www.walkway.org)
Please mail to:
You can Register for the walk on-line at www.bit.ly/NDhudsonwalk
Les McCarthy
(link from this
site will be activated
by May
2010)
Skyline
Rd
~ The Longest
Pedestrian
Bridge
in1,124the
World
~
Ancramdale, NY 12503
2010 ALS Walk Awarded “Most Scenic ALS Walk” in the USA!
You can Register for the walk online at www.ALSWALKS.org
UNIVERSITY of NOTRE DAME
ND TODAY
THE NOTRE DAME ALUMNI ASSOCIATION E-NEWSLETTER
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
When you can’t be on campus, let us bring Notre Dame to you.
Mid-Hudson Valley Club Walks To Defeat ALS
By
Natalie Davis Miller for ND Today
Losing three friends to a rare, yet deadly disease was enough to motivate Notre Dame Club of Mid-Hudson Valley member Les
McCarthy into action. McCarthy, a Notre Dame parent, is the committee co-chair of the ALS Association’s local Walk To Defeat ALS, in the Hudson Valley area in New York. The first walk was held at the Walkway Over the Hudson in 2009, in honor
of club member Gus Raspitha’70 Ph.D., who died from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and
the spinal cord, according to the ALS Association website. The disease can lead to paralysis and eventually death. “I saw this
as an opportunity to utilize the club as the vehicle to carry the ALS flag,” says McCarthy.
The walk is held on the historic Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge turned scenic walkway. The world’s longest pedestrian
bridge covering 1.25 miles was host to 60 walkers organized by the Mid-Hudson Valley club in their first walk. The walkers
raised $5,000, “without a whole lot of planning and certainly not a lot of experience,” recalls McCarthy. Even so, the club
built on that first venture and turned the 2010 walk into 600 walkers who raised $50,000 for ALS patient support and research.
The club’s efforts garnered the attention of the ALS Association and this year’s walk on October 16 will be sponsored by the
local ALS chapter in their area. “We felt that we were the catalyst that made it happen,” says McCarthy. “But the real message
is that this is the opportunity for Notre Dame clubs to look in their areas to try to identify needs. Our goal here is to touch lives
in the true spirit of Our Lady’s University. This is my driving force—to make this happen.”
This year’s event promises to be even bigger, with 750 to 1,000 walkers and a goal of raising $75,000. “What’s unique
about ALS is that it has a zero survival rate,” says McCarthy. “When you come across people who have faced the disease as
a caregiver or family member that has witnessed the horrific nature of it, then the passion is there.” Currently ALS patients in
the Hudson Valley area travel two hours to New York City or Albany to receive care. Working with a very dedicated club committee, McCarthy says their future goals are to become the largest single walk in the Mid-Hudson Valley, and most importantly,
increase patient services and support in their area.
Katie Zakas ’04, the Alumni Association’s service programs director, says that community service is not unusual for Notre
Dame clubs. “But the ALS Walk is unique in how many members became involved and the huge impact it has made.”
Zakas also notes that Gus’s wife Ellen remains very much involved with the Mid-Hudson Valley club as a board member.
Raspitha supports the U.S. military by sending care packages to a female battalion stationed in Afghanistan. In addition to the
ALS Walk, the Mid-Hudson Valley club also hosts many activities, including Hesburgh Month of Service, the Hesburgh Lecture
Series, a student send-off, UND Celebration, Sisters Under Sail, and two summer service student interns. The club was recognized for its efforts when it was awarded the distinction of Outstanding Club (C club) in 2009.
McCarthy acknowledges that the work the club is doing isn’t always easy, given the country’s current economic climate.
This doesn’t deter him. “Raising money is really an art form. You have to have a good product, and believe in that product,
whether you’re selling shoes or a donation for an ALS Walk. We have two good products here. Notre Dame and the ALS Association are two phenomenal products, and we surely believe in them and the spirit of the University,” says McCarthy. “When
you believe in a product, it makes selling a lot more fun.”
If you are interested learning more about the ALS Walk in the Mid-Hudson Valley, contact Les McCarthy at [email protected]
or visit alswalks.org.