Projo Running Blog

Bob Mitera had this great news to report on last month's second annual ALS Spin-A-Thon, created to help area triathlete Jonathan ``The Blazeman" Blais in his "War on ALS": The second annual ALS Spin-a-Thon fundraiser, held February 10, 2007, across the U.S. and Canada, raised $47,545 for ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease research. Seventeen – 15 in the U.S. and two in Canada – different communities participated, showing their passion to help destroy the disease.

Several individuals at each of the spin-a-thons rode the entire 16.5 hours. Cyclists of all ages, sizes, shapes, and ability levels participated, among them an Ironman Triathlon champion, Ironman age-group champion, Team Timex professional triathlete, and rock group Pearl Jam’s guitarist Mike McCready. Over 500 people participated in the spin-a-thon continent-wide.

Several ALS patients and their families came out to different spin-a-thons to show support. In Palatine, Ill., ALS patient Aimee Chamernik and her husband Jim, of Grayslake, Ill., spent several hours talking to riders. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord resulting in muscle weakness and atrophy. The disease affects as many as 30,000 Americans at any given time.

For further information on the spin-a-thon, visit http://spinforals.com, or contact Bob Mitera at 630-546-8890. For more information on John Blais’ story, visit www.als.net/ffc/familyStory.asp?familyID=220, and the disease, http://www.als.net. For further information on the “War on ALS”, visit http://www.waronals.com/index.php.

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