This Saturday, Walk to Defeat ALS returns to downtown Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana – At the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Celebration Park on Saturday, the ALS Association will hold the Walk to Defeat ALS.

All ages are welcome to attend this family-friendly community event, which aims to commemorate people who are coping with ALS, honor those who have lost their lives to the disease, and remember the lives and legacies of those who were taken too soon.

Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive motor neuron disease. Those who are impacted eventually lose their ability to swallow, walk, communicate, and eventually breathe.

Approximately 5,000 new cases are reported to be diagnosed in the US each year, according to medical professionals. After diagnosis, most patients usually have two to five years to survive. There is no known cause or treatment for this fatal illness.

I was joined in the Daybreak studio by Kristi Marsili, the managing director of development for The ASL Association, to give a sneak peek at this weekend’s event.

“Indiana is uniquely positioned to make a huge impact on the ALS community with the in-person walk in Indianapolis and fundraisers statewide with Walk Your Way events to take the extra steps needed to reach our goal of $250,000 for the 2023 Walk to Defeat ALS,” said Kristi Marsili, Managing Director of Development for The ALS Association. “This is a new approach to Walk to Defeat ALS fundraising in Indiana this year, and we are hoping everyone will find a way to participate no matter where they live.”

Seventy walk teams have signed up thus far to take part in the ALS Indiana 2023 Walk to Defeat.

According to Marsili, the organization anticipates about 600 people to attend the event this next weekend. The funds collected from the various walks to combat ALS contribute to national and international research projects aimed at discovering therapies and a cure for this deadly illness. Contributions also assist national and state advocacy campaigns to protect the rights of ALS patients.

The group also notes that this weekend’s contributions will directly fund regional programs and care services that The ALS Association offers to individuals and families in Indiana who are living with ALS at no cost to them.

“As an organization, we will do whatever it takes. It costs people living with ALS more than $250,000 a year just to get the equipment and care they need, not including medications,” says Liz Krisanda, Territory Executive for The ALS Association, “The ALS Association is committed to making ALS a livable disease for everyone, everywhere, until we find a cure.”