Thousands walk to raise money for and awareness of ALS
WEST ALLIS (WITI) -- ALS is a disease for which there is very little treatment and no cure -- and on Sunday, October 13th, thousands from the Milwaukee area walked to defeat ALS.
ALS -- often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
Sunday marked the sixth annual ALS Walk at Greenfield Park in West Allis.
5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS every year.
"It`s really heartwarming. There`s lots of energy, lots of people, lots of smiles and hugs. So, it brings a lot of happiness to something that could not always be so happy," Trickett Wendler said.
Organizers expect Sunday's ALS Walk to have raised $400,000.