My Annual Appeal – Harpoon 5-Miler
Once a year I ask for your help. Usually, I get to compete with multiple Boston Marathon fundraisers, fresh spring fever, and baseball season. It's hard to keep your attention sometimes!
But this year is different in many ways. The global pandemic has seen most races canceled or postponed. Baseball is a memory. Springtime revelry has been muted by "social distancing." Even the IRS is taking your taxes later than usual, so people's minds aren't on the tax-benefits of giving. But ALS doesn't stop for lockdowns. And the race organizers at the Harpoon 5-Miler felt we needed to proceed. At least Virtually.
This Sunday, May 17th. I will once again "run" in the Harpoon 5-Miler to benefit the Angel Fund, and I'm looking for your support. As usual, I will match the first $250 of donations. I have run this race since 2012, and although the Angel Fund was always the beneficiary, I did not become aware of the important work they do until my friend and coworker Egide Houndegla was diagnosed with this illness. We helped him as much as we could to keep at work until he was just too weak to continue. He was soon confined to a bed, gradually diminishing in his ability to speak and move, and we ultimately lost him in Jan 2016. Since then, my friends and colleagues on our team have worked to raise money in his memory for this worthy cause.
We are still working to raise awareness and to help fund research in his memory through The Angel Fund and the UMASS Medical School's Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research.
Because this year's race is virtual due to recent events, it is more important than ever to raise funds for research into battling this disease. No contribution is too small. Please help.
https://runsignup.com/running4egide2020
Thanks for your attention, and apologies for the spam.
Erik
BRC70