ALS Stories

Your fundraising dollars have had an impact in your community. Here is how your fundraising has supported your neighbors.

These are the testimonials about the people who are supported by your efforts:

Cindy Moore & Cindy's Cyclists

“The Ranch” was Cindy’s beautiful home where she cared for her llamas, chickens, ducks and three cats. A truly respected mining engineer for Hecla Mining Company. Cindy also continued to do consulting for Hecla despite her early retirement due to her ALS.

Dedicated to funding support for people with ALS in the region, Cindy began fundraising for The ALS Association Evergreen Chapter from the start of her diagnosis. Eventually she founded the Silver Valley Ride to Defeat ALS with the support of friends and family.

Cindy traveled to Washington, DC multiple times to represent the Evergreen Chapter’s patients at The ALS Association’s ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference. Her advocacy puts a unique face to ALS, helping legislators understand the challenges people living with the disease face as they continue to want to work and be productive.

She advocated effectively for greater funding for ALS specific research and was a full participant in the ALS National Registry, as well as the pilot project of the Center for Disease Control’s ALS Bio Repository, donating tissue samples repeatedly. This project has now continued on past the pilot stage.

She also served on the Board of Directors of The ALS Association Evergreen Chapter in the role of Advocacy Chair.

Cindy’s Cyclists was created in 2012 with family and friends who had a need to support Cindy, an avid biker herself. Cindy’s Cyclists found courage and strength to pedal; it was because of Cindy’s strong will, her courageous being and her passion of being an advocate for those with ALS. Cindy’s Cyclists started with our ride at the Mt. Vernon Double day ride, and then in 2013 with Cindy’s passion, the Silver valley ride to defeat ALS was created and what a strong first year we had.

Cindy's journey on this earth sadly ended in September 2015. We are a team who are committed to raise money to support ALS families and spread awareness and will never loose site of the special women that brought us here or the impact that ALS made in our lives.

We would like to ask that all our riders on Cindy's Cyclists raise at least $150, let's do our part and keep Cindy's spirit and what she started alive.

Heidi Smith, Team Challenge ALS Champion

When my husband Frank was diagnosed with ALS we were stunned. He would get up early in the morning to get a workout in before work. He was always running around with the kids and very active.

Frank was diagnosed with ALS and told, “If you have always wanted to take a trip, now is the time to do it.” The next day we bought a mini cooper and started planning a trip to Italy.

We got involved with our local chapter of the ALS Association shortly after Frank was diagnosed – they were always very supportive and provided guidance for us as we struggled to live with this illness. We received information about the illness, attended support groups, and borrowed equipment from the loan closet.

This disease is horrific. Frank stopped walking, and lost his ability to eat and talk. There is no cure and little treatment. It is so hard stand by and watch the person that you love deteriorate.

In 2015, I joined Team Challenge ALS by participating in our local Spartan Race - it was incredible. It has really invigorated me and I can’t wait to do it again next year. During the race, we climb over walls, crawl under barbed wire, slog through mud and jump over fire. Thinking about Frank gives me the strength to keep going. Frank lost his battle with ALS. I still do it for Frank and others who have ALS. Those coping with the disease on a daily basis face a much bigger challenge simply going through daily tasks. Surely, we can face the hurdles of the Spartan race or any other endurance race obstacle for one day. Join #TeamChallengeALS.