Walking to Defeat ALS
On Saturday, twenty-one Bachwalkers participated in the “Minneapolis” Walk to Defeat ALS. Altogether our team raised $6035 in the effort.[1] Our goal was $2000, so I’d say we came away with a victory. I’m not sure we have defeated ALS at this point, but we are helping to score some points for our side.
(Click on any photo on this page to view it in frightening detail.)
Walk week really started on Thursday, when Joann and I met Tammy & Nick and Nicole & Cole at DeGidio’s Italian restaurant in downtown St. Paul. We were there to celebrate Tammy’s birthday and her engagement to Nick. What I didn’t know was that my mom and sister had flown in from California to join us. Everyone but me knew they were coming. Joann and both girls thought they’d given away the secret at one time or another over the past few weeks, but I had no clue. It was a fun surprise.
The weather could have been a little better on the day of the walk, but it could’ve been a lot worse. It was somewhat chilly (especially for the Californians) when we gathered at 9 AM for the event, but it warmed up nicely for the walk an hour later. No one managed to wear just the thin Bachwalkers tee-shirt, but with a little undergirding we were resplendent in Bachwalker blue.
We had the ALSA place a sign remembering Rob Tison along the trail. I wrote about Rob here in a post a couple of weeks ago, so most of my team knew of him and his importance to the ALS community. All were watching for the sign along the route. When we found it, we stopped for a moment to remember him.
Our tee-shirts—I would like to think—were some of the of best at the event.[2] (Not all teams create and walk in custom shirts, but many do.) I think the very best were worn by team “Bass Tope” walking in remembrance of Christopher Tope.[3] He was an avid bass fisherman who died of ALS in 2009. His team’s shirts featured his picture on the back, and on the front a picture of a fish with the words “Does this shirt make my bass look big?” Mom complimented the shirt to one of the Bass Tope team members and mentioned that her grandson-in-law Justin is an avid bass fisherman. Soon Christopher’s lovely wife Jen gave Mom one of the shirts. Justin will wear it in California, and he will share the story of a 38-year-old husband and father taken far too early by this disease.
I’d like to thank the 20 walkers and donors who joined me at the event: My wife Joann, daughters Nicole and Tamara with their boyfriends Cole and Nick; my mother Delouris and sister Rhonda; friends (alphabetically) Bill & Tina, Bob, Dave, Rick, Roger & Cathy, Tim, Tom & Diane, Tom & Lisa (with basset hound Zuzu), and Tracy.
As near as I can tell here is a full list of our non-walking donors:
Family: Barbara & Bob, Dad (who would have loved to walk with us, but let Mom and Rhonda enjoy a mother-daughter getaway), Jeff & Dee Dee, Justin & Tarin & girls, Mike & Chris, Randy & Ana, and Tom & Holly.
Some of my oldest friends from elementary and high school: Betty C, David & Connie & Yaya, Dennis R, Jeff and Mary T, John S, Lorrie B, Michelle K, and Rhonda F.
Friends-at-large: Amy & Chad, Anne G, Artie S, Barb C, Barbe M, Bob & Kristen, Boey & Tom & Mike & Matt, Bridge & Barry, Bill S & family, Carl V, Carol H, Cecelia S, David B, Deb W, Elizabeth A, George G, Gloria B, Harriet S, Janice K, Jeanne F, Jen H, Jim & Kathy, Joe G, Kathleen M, Katie M, Lynda F, Mark K, Mary & Joe S, Mary Ann & Jerome H, Mary H, Matt & Katrin & Kaspar, Melanie O, Michele L, Mina L, Nancy O, Patrick F, Paul P, Paul S, Robb G, Ronit Y, Sally H & Cynthia R, Steve H, Steven & Sharon N, Sue H, Sue M, Wayne H, Winnie P, and Wolfie B.
There were at least a couple of anonymous donors, and we received a few matching gifts as well as a donation from the company that produced our Bachwalkers tee-shirts. I hope I haven’t left anyone out. If I have it is because it is not easy for me to get to the names of donors who gave on behalf of others on my Bachwalkers team. But I’ve tried to find and list everyone.
A huge thank you to all of you! I hope to get shirts in the mail later this week to those of you who requested them.
| DATE | TITLE |
| 02/28/2019 | Unhappy Anniversary |
| 05/12/2017 | The Eyes Have It |
| 08/04/2016 | YFALS National Corntoss Challenge |
| 07/18/2016 | Scopolamine Blues |
| 03/06/2016 | Dragon Me Down |
or see the Complete ALS Bites
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Notes
- This “Minneapolis” walk took place at the Thompson-Reuters property in Eagan. See our team’s fundraising page. Amount raised updated as of 10/2/2012 (money turned in on the day of the walk was just added to our total). [^]
- See Christopher Tope’s obituary. [^]
- Our T-shirts featured the name “Bachwalkers” followed by an asterisk. A footnote designed to reassure nervous Midwesterners who might otherwise get the wrong idea about the team name read “Not affiliated with MN Rep. M. Bachmann or WI Gov. S. Walker.” This note was not meant to offend, but to inform. [^]
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