As part of the Florida Chapter of the ALS Association, each year the St. Augustine community comes together to Walk to Defeat ALS.

The annual fall event supports and raises funds to find a cure for ALS. ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease that gradually robs people of their ability to walk, talk, swallow and eventually breathe. With no known cause or cure, the nation’s oldest city comes together with determination to change this reality.

ALS patients, along with their families, friends, advocates, and supporters, embark on a 1.5-mile journey through downtown St. Augustine in The Walk to Defeat ALS, holding onto hope that their steps will contribute to improving the lives of ALS patients living in St. Augustine. Many participants walk in honor of loved ones still battling this life-limiting disease, while others walk in memory of those who have lost their fight. Many individuals, without personal connections to ALS, walk to support efforts that aim to fund research, making ALS a livable disease for all until a cure is found.

With only two to five years of average life expectancy, these patients have an urgent need, and the community steps in to fill it by walking for those who can’t. The Walk to Defeat ALS is the ALS Association’s signature event in which all proceeds support patient care and comfort, as well as research for treatments and a cure.

The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit the national website at als.org.

About ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts more than 1,600 people in Florida. This terrible disease knows no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. It can strike anyone at any time. Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes, someone dies from ALS. Death is usually due to respiratory failure because of diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Few treatment options exist for these patients, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression.