Beats Against ALS

Hello, my name is Andrew Hartinger, and I want to do something really cool. This cool thing is for my dad, Mark Hartinger. My dad is undeniably one of the most selfless and empathetic people you will encounter. Someone who does the right thing when no one's looking and is humble enough to keep it to himself. Honestly, it kinda irritates me. Like, c'mon dude, break a few rules. I just don't understand how he can be such a hippie and such a square at the same time. <3

He enjoyed rock climbing, dominating mountain ranges, running ultra-marathons at a professional level, was an incredible parent, volunteered whenever the opportunity arose, and did just about everything else. Since my sister and I could walk, we spent our childhood thru-hiking in places that are considered difficult and most likely dangerous for most adults. Our entire family ran a marathon together and all finished. I hate running, and after I forgave him for convincing me to do it, I'm glad he pushed me.

His passion for running is unparalleled. At 54 years old, he ran the Pacific Crest Trail 100-mile race in 21 hours. At 57, he was in a wheelchair. Diagnosed with PLS. Three letters where the only difference between PLS and ALS is something to do with insurance not wanting to help people. My dad recommends they stick with using 3 letters but should rename it FTS. Recently, he received the actual ALS diagnosis, not that it's any more relevant to the struggles in his daily life. This disease is a guaranteed death sentence. Most pass within 5 years. My dad's been suffering with it for about 12 years. As grateful as I am for the extra time he's had, his day-to-day life has become more confined as traveling is becoming almost impossible.

I am my dad's primary caregiver. My job is to help my dad in every way I can. My dad's life has revolved around music for so long, his heartbeat is a drum, his footsteps play perfect bass notes, and when he laughs you can hear a perfect melody in tune with the world around him.

“Being a musician enables a person to bend the notes and express things that are inside you, no matter what.”

― Neil Young

I'm trying to raise money to book out a venue and artists. I'm working on getting everything on the super cheap/free side but will need a small nest egg just to get things moving. I am currently working on getting bands, DJs, and artists of all types to play, but anyone who can carry a tune and wants to get involved is more than welcome! All entry tickets will be donation-based. Any extra money from this GoFundMe and from ticket sales will go directly to the ALS Association. I'm trying to keep all transactions digital so everybody can see exactly how every dollar is benefiting someone who can't afford to live with the financial cost of having ALS. Unfortunately, with our healthcare system, most who suffer with ALS end up in homes with overworked and understaffed caregivers. So yea, I'm going to do something about it, and you can too. I want to throw the best party I can because my dad deserves it.

 Please email me if you have any leads or can help me network to make this a reality. Every day is exponentially harder for my dad so I'm hoping to make this happen by the middle to end of June. With a little startup money, I should be able to have a venue locked down and a show to bring a lot of light into my dad's life. He deserves the best. Thank you in advance, and I look forward to seeing you at the show!