On June 8 and 9, more than 65 fishermen from around the state gathered for the first-ever ALS Fishing Classic in Port Mansfield, Texas, raising $30,000 for the fight against ALS.
Participants competed in a speckled trout and redfish competition for prizes furnished by Yeti. They enjoyed a raffle, live and silent auctions, and delicious local food.
In 2001, Patricia and Oran Hamilton welcomed their son Patrick into the world. As Patricia started this new chapter in her life, she knew that she wanted to cherish every moment of motherhood. Over the years, she watched as her son grew, encouraging his love of learning.
When Patrick was 11, Patricia started experiencing weakness in her hand, and went to a neurologist who gave her three different diagnoses. In March 2014, she was finally diagnosed with ALS.
Tami Potts has been canning her homemade salsa since her 20s. People have always told her that she should start her own salsa company, but between raising four kids and working, she never had much time to pursue that opportunity.
In the summer of 2016, Tami’s right hand started going numb. Her doctor told her it was time to consider another profession, as she spent many long days as a mail carrier. Tami’s daughter suggested finally starting up that salsa business.
What does it mean to be a part of the Walk to Defeat ALS? We’ve thought a lot about this question over the last few months.
Participation in this campaign can mean different things to different people, but overall, we think it can be summed up in these three words: Community, Celebration, Hope.
On Monday, March 26, more than 150 shooters gathered for the 3rd Annual Shoot Out ALS tournament at the Greater Houston Gun Club, raising $127,000 for the fight against ALS. Shooting enthusiasts participated in an afternoon shoot followed by cocktails and dinner, a live auction, and an awards reception.
At the tournament, we recognized ALS Hero JC Creath. Before ALS, JC and his wife Andrea were photographers, always on the go. While busy photographing weddings, families, pets, and babies, the symptoms of ALS began. JC began tripping and falling, and he struggled to catch his breath at times.
On Saturday, January 20, more than 250 people attended the 14th Annual All in for ALS Poker Tournament. The event raised over $185,000 for the fight against ALS and to help fulfill our mission of finding treatments and a cure while serving, advocating for, and empowering people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.
All in for ALS began in 2004 in honor of Stu Nichols. Stu and his son Andrew had a mission to visit every ballpark in the U.S. throughout Andrew’s childhood. Amidst their journey, Stu was diagnosed with ALS. After his diagnosis, he was still committed to visiting the remaining ballparks, but he also wanted to find a way to fund research for a cure for ALS. Andrew had been playing online poker at the time and was interested in playing in the World Series of Poker tournament. They decided to start a poker event that would benefit people living with ALS.
On Sunday, January 14, 35 runners participated in the Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Program in support of the ALS Association of Texas. The Run for a Reason program “connects the philanthropic community to passionate race participants willing to fundraise and raise awareness for meaningful causes,” according to the Marathon website. This is the eighth year that the ALS Association of Texas has been chosen as an official Charity of Choice.
At ALS Texas, we’re committed to providing quality services to people with ALS. From multidisciplinary clinics to support groups, financial assistance, loaning medical equipment free of charge, and research investment, we’re dedicated to helping patients live their lives to the fullest.
It’s only through the support of people like you that we’re able to do all this, and we want to thank you for helping make the past year a success. View the graphic below to see the impact of your donations in 2017.
Texas is big, really big. Our friends at Texas Humor stated that “if you drive long enough through Texas, you still might not get all the way through it.” As Texans, we pride ourselves on the sheer size of our great state.
However, its sprawling cities, growing suburbs, and vast rural areas pose a real challenge when we think about access. At ALS Texas, we believe that everyone living with ALS deserves to have access to top-notch clinical care, programs and resources that increase quality of life, clinical research studies, and an ALS community advocating for change.
By Ben Stephens
Like most people with ALS, I’d noticed some changes long before the diagnosis came. In August 2013, I began having difficulty buttoning my shirt. After seeing three different neurologists, receiving an incorrect diagnosis of multifocal motor neuropathy, and a series of tests like a spinal tap and MRI, I finally received a diagnosis of ALS in December 2014.
ALS has forced a lot of changes on my life. As an estate planning and probate attorney, I have a number of clients who rely on me. After my diagnosis, I hired an associate, which allows me to continue to work while living with the realities of ALS. I quit driving about two years ago, and I’ve learned to work remotely. I had to sell my house because of the stairs, and my family and I moved to a duplex. ALS has affected almost every area of my life.
