September will mark Lisa Hanley’s fifth year walking in the Les Turner ALS Foundation Walk for Life fundraiser and the third since her husband, Pat Hanley, passed away from the disease.
The annual event is a reminder of what Hanley has lost because of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. On the other hand, she said “it is also a reminder of how people can come together for a really good cause.”
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This year’s walk will take place Sept. 18 at Soldier Field and will follow a 2-mile route along Chicago’s lakefront. More than 7,000 people are expected to participate, and the fundraiser is considered one of the largest ALS gatherings nationwide, according to a press release from the Skokie-based Les Turner ALS Foundation — an organization that funds research, clinical care and support services for people with ALS in the Chicago region.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a neuromuscular disease of the nervous system that weakens muscles and, over time, prevents a person form walking, speaking, eating and eventually breathing, though their cognitive abilities generally remain intact.
The ALS Walk For Life has generated $11 million toward research, patient care and education about the disease over the course of 14 years.
Hanley is the captain of the fundraising team dubbed “Pat’s Warriors,” named after her late husband. She said the team has raised more than $50,000 since she began participating in the event in 2012.
Pat Hanley, who worked for a decade as corporation counsel for the village of Skokie, was diagnosed with ALS in March 2012 and died in November 2013 at age 58. Hanley said she and her husband were introduced to the Les Turner Foundation following his diagnosis. It was a scary and uncertain time for the couple, but Hanley said the foundation provided them with a thorough understanding of the disease, support and a community familiar with what they were going through.
Like the ALS ice bucket challenge — a viral internet campaign that raised millions for the ALS Association — the Walk For Life event is both a means to generate funds with the hope of eradicating the disease and also a tool to bring awareness to the plight of those affected, Hanley said.
“I do think awareness is a huge part of being able to find a cure,” she said.
The Pat’s Warriors team numbered roughly 70 people during their first year participating in the event, Hanley said. In recent years, that number has dropped to about 35, but friends and family who may not make it out to the event have still generously donated to the cause, she said.
Andrea Pauls Backman, executive director for the Les Turner Foundation, described Hanley as a “true friend” to the organization, in an emailed statement.
“She knows the joy of paying it forward to others who are diagnosed with ALS every day, and, for that, we are truly grateful,” Backman wrote.
Years after her husband’s passing, Hanley said the organization is something she will be a part of and advocate on behalf of for the rest of her life. She said she will continue to fundraise and build awareness for the disease until a cure is found.
To learn more about the ALS Walk for Life event and to register to participate, visit: www.ALSwalkforlife.org.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report.