Alex & Nate /ALS TDI Tri State Trek

Hello friends and family!

I hope this message finds everyone well. The warm weather is upon us (finally!!!) and I wanted to share some of our summer plans with you…

 On June 26-28 Nate and I, along with a group of friends, will be participating in the ALS TDI Tri-State Trek. The 3 day bicycle trek, totaling 270 miles from Boston to New York, is in benefit of ALS Therapy Development Institute, which is a nonprofit biotech company that is dedicated to developing an effective treatment for ALS.

For those of you that don’t know, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is a neurodegenerative disease that slowly takes away your ability to walk, talk, eat and even breathe. 90% of people with ALS die of respiratory failure within 3-5 years of their diagnosis. Currently, there is no cure for this terrible disease and only one drug approved by the FDA. That one drug only slows the progression slightly by ~10%.  

We are inspired to participate in this fundraising trek by our great friend Bobby Forster.  We met Bobby while living in New Orleans and continued our friendship when we all moved back to New England.  Bobby is a gem of a human being and we are so grateful to know him. He has a giving, happy and adventurous spirit.  Last summer, during the height of the ice bucket challenge, Bobby was dealing with the very real prognosis of ALS. We had hoped that his loss of strength and control of his right arm was just some freak thing that would soon disappear, but after months of testing and diagnostics Bobby received his diagnosis of ALS on December 23rd, 2014.

True to form, Bobby is finding ways to help others through his diagnosis. He is making incredible efforts to develop exoskeleton prosthetics and 3d printed mechanisms to assist others with ALS in their daily life. Learn more about what Bobby is designing and building and get an update on his experience with ALS here: https://www.facebook.com/ACureForForster orhttp://www.acureforforster.com/.

Despite this life-altering diagnosis, Bobby is still the guy that we met dancing around on Mardi Gras. On what might be his last snowboarding run of his life, Bobby went down the slopes with style. (Or maybe, lack of style, as he wasn’t wearing pants.) He will also be participating in the first day of the Tri State Trek with us, just a week after he marries his lovely fiancé Casey!

As I mentioned earlier, this fundraiser benefits the work of ALS TDI. The teams at ALS TDI are on a first name basis with Bobby and Casey, and have been absolutely supportive throughout his diagnosis in connecting him with resources. Bobby regards them as family. If you want to learn more about ALS TDI, click here:  http://www.als.net/ .

I am proud to say that my husband Nate is committing to the full 3 day 270 mile bike ride! I will be riding 58 miles with Bobby, his soon-to-be wife Casey, and the rest Team #WhatAboutBobby on June 26th. (Actually, for all of my family and friends in and around my hometown of Uxbridge, MA: our 58 mile ride will be stopping through Uxbridge at the Valley Chapel on 130 Douglas Street. Riders arrive from 8AM to 11AM… come cheer us on!)  The rest of the weekend, I will be cheering and volunteering.

Thank you for visiting our fundraising page and for your support! If funds are tight, we understand – maybe you could send us a playlist so we can jam during our training rides? Nate and I have been bumpin’ the beat riding all around town and need some new tunes. Thanks for the love everyone!

With all our humble gratitude,

Alex and Nate

P.S.  If you would like to donate to Bobby directly, click here: http://www.gofundme.com/bobbyforster