Walk of Hope for ALS

14^th Annual Walk of Hope of Hope for ALS - September 12
Ice Bucket Challenge to be held after Walk

The 14^th annual Walk of Hope for ALS, a 3.5-mile walk around Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield to benefit The Angel Fund, will be held on Saturday, September 12^th, 2015.  The event begins with registration at 9 a.m. followed by the start of the walk at 11 a.m.  

The Angel Fund is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting ALS research at the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at UMass Medical Center in Worcester. The lab is under the direction of world renowned researcher Dr. Robert H. Brown, Jr. ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive, always fatal neuromuscular disease which leads to muscle weakness and as it progresses, results in total paralysis and the inability to speak and swallow while the mind and senses remain intact.

“Last year at the Walk, The Angel Fund kicked off its Step up to Cure ALS campaign to raise $4 million for research. We are more than half way there with funding. We are so close, but we need to keep stepping up to reach our goal of bringing the research to human trials”, said Angel Fund President Richard Kennedy.

Walkers of all abilities are encouraged to participate as individuals or as a team. To register as a walker or to register a team, log-on to The Angel Fund website at www.theangelfund.org or call the organization at 781-245-7070.
In addition to the walk around Lake Quannapowitt, the event includes the annual dove release for those who are living with ALS and those who have lost their courageous battle to the disease, children’s activities and refreshments for all walkers.

The event will also include an encore celebration of last year’s Ice Bucket Challenge in which more than 600 walkers participated. This year’s challenge will follow the walk at 1 p.m. Home Depot of Reading will once again donate the buckets for the Challenge.
Donations to the Angel Fund can also be made online, or can be sent to The Angel Fund, 649 Main Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. All donations should be made payable to The Angel Fund. To assist its walkers, The Angel Fund has joined FirstGiving.com which enables them to create their own webpage to raise money online. Registered walkers can create their page at www.firstgiving.com/angelfund.

There are several levels of corporate sponsorship for the Walk of Hope for ALS. 

Information about sponsorship opportunities can also be obtained on the website, www.theangelfund.org, or by calling 781-245-7070.