Dear Family and Friends,
I would like to start by thanking everyone who sponsored my team in last year's Walk to Defeat ALS®!
Through your generous support and participation, we helped the Tennessee Chapter raise more than $350,000 statewide and celebrated the progress we are making in the fight against ALS.
As most of you know, I support the ALS Association because I lost my dear, sweet, amazing father, Clinton, to this horrible disease. It is a disease with no treatment, no cure, and no known cause. In some cases it appears to be hereditary, and in some cases it does not. ALS is a complete mystery. In most cases it strikes randomly, and it almost always kills within 3-5 years of diagnosis. It is a horrible disease which slowly paralyzes its victims, robbing them of their ability to walk, talk, eat and, eventually, breathe. Most die from loss of lung function—in essence, they suffocate.
I'm sure many of you are like me in that your family has been affected by many different diseases. In my own family cancer is prevalent, as is diabetes. Both of these have taken the lives of close family members. But nothing I've ever seen is as awful as ALS. It is a horrible disease and WE MUST FIND A CURE.
Please help. Give whatever you can...every $5 gift makes a difference.
A large percentage of the money raised by our Walk stays right here in the community where it is spent to help ALS patients and their families deal with the enormous financial burden brought on by ALS. Care of an end-stage ALS patient can cost as much as $200,000 a year. This disease is not only emotionally devastating to families, but financially devastating as well. Our chapter does our best to help through programs like equipment loans, respite care and communications assistance.
My hope for this year's Walk is to raise even more money and bring more friends and family with us on Walk Day! To do this, I am again asking for your support by making a gift to The ALS Association or by joining me as a participant on Walk Day.
Simply click on the link below to visit my personal fundraising page and donate directly online or join me as a Walk participant. You may also choose to send your contribution in the form of a check. Please make all checks payable to The ALS Association and send them to me at the following address:
Charla Lancaster
17 Thorndale Court
Nashville, TN 37215
Thank you again for supporting me in the fight against ALS. I appreciate your generosity and participation.
