The ALS Association

• Providing equipment and resources that help improve the quality of life for patients.
• Funding research initiatives aimed at finding effective treatments and potentially a cure.
• Offering support services and educational resources for families navigating the challenges of ALS.

This is a Charity Miles fundraiser for ALS Association . Please show your support!

After running two marathons and a handful of half marathons, I've decided to fundraise for the first time! My next half marathon is on May 8th and coincidentally May is ALS awareness month. Fighting this disease is a cause that's very personal to me and is something that's very close to my heart.

Join me in helping those impacted by this terrible disease! My donation goal is $1,310 ($100 for each mile I'm running)! Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. Please feel free to share the below information with anyone else that would be interested in donating.

Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with or dies from ALS. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that takes away one's freedom to walk, talk, run, hug, and dance. The ALS Association 's goal is to give that independence back and help empower people to live life to the fullest.

The ALS Association leads the way in global research and helps 20,000 Americans living with ALS. Your gift today will help find a cure for ALS, while providing care and support to families impacted by ALS.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me!



More information about The ALS Association :The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while empowering people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

Mark Buckingham, a VP within Corporate Technology, has an affinity for pets. He has birds, a snake, and a dog. Earlier in the year, back when Tiger King was popular, and while on a Zoom call, he was showing off his bird and pet snake. And while doing it, he had a stuffed animal tiger in the background. And the nickname "Mark Exotic" was born.

At that time, I talked to Mark about doing a fundraiser. He'd grow out his hair so he could cut it into a mullet and then bleach it blonde.
He'd also grow out his beard so he could cut it into a handlebar mustache.

And what do you know, he agreed to it. Please be sure to read Mark's story below.

We are doing a 3-tier fund raiser:

Raise $200 dollars = Mark will cut his hair into a mullet.
Raise $600 dollars = Mark will also bleach his mullet.
Raise $1000 = Mark will shape his facial hair into a handlebar mustache.

Once the deadline for the fundraiser is met, Mark would do whatever tier is reached. Then he'll wear it like that for 1 week. We'll get pictures and video of him out in public. For example: shopping at the grocery store; getting gas; driving his kids to school. We'll then publish the pictures and videos for everyone to laugh at.

Please donate so we can see Mark Exotic!

Message from Mark:

"I have unfortunately witnessed first-hand the damage that ALS has on the deterioration of the human body. I met my wife roughly 13 years ago, and subsequently her father. He was the kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back and never ask for anything in return. Not only did he not ask for anything in return, he genuinely didn’t want anything in return. I would love to tell you that we had a unique and special bond unlike that of anyone I’ve ever met. While that holds very true for me, I’m fairly certain that most people felt that way about him. When we met, Jim was an active, healthy man that was always getting his hands dirty with projects whether at work or at home. He could fix or build anything it seemed. When we met, they had purchased an older home on a large piece of land and were working through restoring it. Of course Jim was performing the bulk of the restoration work himself. Given that the man worked 90% of his day, he always maintained a great sense of humor, was always positive, and was a ton of fun to be around. Not long after meeting Jim, he started to experience weakness in his grip and legs and occasional numbness and pain. In the summer of 2009 he paid a visit to the Dr only to find that he was diagnosed with ALS, a horrible disease that has a reputation of eating away at your muscles very quickly. As much as we did to prepare ourselves with the reality of how quickly this could progress, it was unreal seeing how fast things deteriorated. Shortly after getting the diagnosis, I decided to move in to help with work around the house. I can’t begin to express the pain to see someone that has been so self-sufficient their entire life quickly become so dependent on others for so many of common daily tasks we take advantage of. Within a few months he was forced to use a walker, a couple months later a scooter, a few months later a power chair, and finally a device that tracked his eye movement so that he could communicate with us as he was unable to speak. Yet through all this he never lost his goofy, fun-loving personality that everyone gravitated towards. He participated in a research trial where he received weekly infusions, as there is no treatment for the disease. Jim passed on Dec 29th, 2011. He taught me more than he will ever know, and is a relationship that I will cherish for the rest of my life. This is why I chose to donate to the ALS Association."

More information about The ALS Association: The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while empowering people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

 HEY YOU! Comb over here or there will be hell toupe.

Hats off for all the ice bucket challenges.. but wet wigs need to be brushed away..

Shom and Taylor are here to shave the day!

Recede into your pockets and part with your cash to support a good cause!

 Shom has decided he would like to shave off his luscious locks for a good cause but he needs your support! We want to raise 800$ by August 1st to help support the ALS Association. If we go over our goal Taylor is willing to shave her hair too.

About ALS and the ALS Association:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. The ALS Association provides funding for research for a cure to ALS and support for families who have been affected by this disease.

For every $5 raised, I will bike or run one mile before June 30th, 2018.  

May is ALS Awareness Month, and June 21st is ALS Awareness Day. Between May 21st and June 21st, I will be collecting donations for The ALS Association in honor of my late Coach Dave Kinen.

What Is ALS?
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. 

The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. The motor nerves that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle control. Examples of voluntary movements are making the effort to reach for a smart phone or step off a curb. These actions are controlled by the muscles in the arms and legs.

ALS is a 100% fatal disease, and currently there is no cure. 

Who Is Coach Kinen?
Coach Kinen was a large part of my life; from teaching physical education my kindergarten year, to track in middle school, and my life mentor in high school. He had an unmatchable ability to motivate and inspire, and remained a constant light through challenging times. January 9, 2009, Coach Kinen was diagnosed with ALS. The words my mother said when she told me still echo, despite not understanding at the time what it really meant. Through his life, he inspired thousands of individuals, and began what became the "Never Quit" movement throughout our community. Despite his physical disability, Coach had a seemingly unbreakable persistence to keep going, an uncanny joy for life, and an unwavering love for others. When walking became difficult, he traded his walks for wheelchair drives to Hy-Vee gas with a Mountain Dew, or to sporting events he had previously coached, to support students he previously taught. When talking became difficult, he fought harder and held conversations about his life, and about the lives of those around him. He was thoughtful. He was engaged. He was compassionate, empathetic, and positive. 

Coach Kinen fought courageously, he lived wholeheartedly, and he shared light and love with others until his passing on December 17, 2016. This day and the days following were measures beyond challenging, but the strength he instilled and the legacy he left continue to thrive and grow each day.

Please help me honor Coach Kinen by raising money for ALS so we can beat the sh-- out of this disease. 



Coach Kinen Blackout Wrestling Meet, January 2014

This is a Charity Miles fundraiser for ALS Association . Please show your support!

This is a Charity Miles fundraiser for ALS Association . Please show your support!

This is a Charity Miles fundraiser for ALS Association . Please show your support!