Expand the Circle: Help Scott Hamilton fight ALS

When you look at pictures of Scott Hamilton, you find shots of a vital, energetic, adventurous man enjoying life to the fullest-- climbing the tallest peaks, canoeing, biking, hiking, playing tennis, sports of all sorts -- with friends around him and a smile that draws you in.


Through all of his sporting activities, his work as an IT project manager for the City of Cambridge and a residential and commercial appraiser in his family business, his singing with Sharing a New Song, Halalisa, and the Mystic Chorale, his long involvement with the Boston Ski & Sports club,  and mentoring men (his latest passion), Scott has amassed a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances.  And if you were fortunate enough to spend even 15 minutes in conversation with Scott, you remember him: his openness, kindness, and curiosity about others are his hallmarks.


When Scott received an ALS diagnosis 3 years ago, he made a decision to live each day to the fullest, sharing his journey via blog with a circle of friends and family.  With his partner Rachel by his side as much as possible, he traveled the world and explored all of the national parks and wonders in the US in the Ford Transit van Scott had transformed into a camper before his diagnosis. As the disease progressed, Scott reached out for support to a small circle beginning with Rachel, his son and daughter, and close friends, some of who date back to middle school.


Slowly but surely, the disease has taken its toll as predicted-- his body letting him down bit by bit.  Scott stopped singing in September, played his last tennis match and gave up driving in February, and accepted delivery of an electric wheelchair in March. With the help of his dear friend Frank Woods and the hospitality of his friends Martha and Hugh – both now retired to Florida – Scott made it to Spring Training in Florida this year, most likely for the last time. 


Now it's time to ask for help from what we hope will be an ever-expanding circle of friends. For Scott, asking for help is more difficult than climbing the Cathedral Peak mountain ranges in South Africa; so we are doing it for him. In the not-too-distant future, Scott’s need for support from personal care attendants will grow from the current 24 hours a week to 24/7 – an incredibly expensive reality. We have set a stretch goal of $50,000 for this campaign, knowing it will not be enough but surely a great start.  We sincerely hope you can find it in your heart to dig deep and be part of a wide circle of love surrounding Scott during this time.