On September 19th, 2026, Fred’s First Down Pack is joining the movement to cure ALS by participating in the WalkALS Georgia (formerly the Walk to Defeat ALS).This year, August 27th marks 19 years since we lost my dad to this devastating disease. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Walk ALS/Walk to Defeat ALS, and my family has been walking for the past 24 years. As a team, we've raised over $66,000 in the past 24 years and hope to keep supporting this organization for a long time to come.

Fred was diagnosed with ALS when his oldest daughter, Brittany, was in 2nd grade. It started off as little things: he would trip often and started falling down the stairs. When his wife, Hillary, took him to the doctor, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). The prognosis was grim- most patients live an average of 2-5 years after diagnosis. He was going to be gone before either of his kids finished elementary school. ALS is an aggressive, degenerative neurological disorder that slowly robs its victims of motor function and independence. Every day was a struggle for us.  We worried that one of his many machines might not work, and some of those machines were the only things keeping him alive.  Our house was simply full of machines, machines, and more machines.  He had a simple wheelchair that my mom pushed him in to go to the bathroom, and a more complex wheelchair for getting around.  Dad had a breathing machine that he had to always wear, and it "lived" on a tray next to where he was stuck in bed.  He had a stair lift that he used to go up and down stairs, and a computer that he controlled with his eyes so that he could work and communicate with us.  In the last year, he could barely get out of bed.  He couldn't eat, so he had a feeding tube in his stomach. He couldn't breathe on his own, so his breathing machine was necessary to keep him alive.  My dad needed help to sit up, go to the restroom, take a shower, shave, brush his teeth, move his hands, and roll over.  The simplest things were impossible for him. His condition only got worse, and he passed away on August 27, 2007. Brittany was 10, and his son, Brandon, was 7.

Our family does not want anybody else to go through what we had to go through.  We want to do everything we can to help fight this disease and the toll it takes on patients and families. Raising money for ALS United of Georgia (formerly the ALS Association of Georgia) can help these patients and their families so much. Being involved with this wonderful organization is something we participate in every year, and the money our team and our walkers have raised will help other families get the same treatment and support Fred got.  We loved him dearly, and we are thankful for everything he taught us.  Watching him fight his battle so courageously has made his children into the caring and compassionate people that they are today. We know first-hand the devastation ALS causes to patients and families, and ALS United of Georgia (previously the ALS Association of Georgia) has helped our family so much.  They were the ones who gave us the motorized wheelchair and the stair lift.  They were the ones who gave us the computer that he operated with his eyes so he could communicate with us when he could no longer speak.  They were the ones who gave us the machines to make a difficult time just a little bit easier.  Speaking from experience, your donation can really make a difference.  Thank you so much for your help and support.

Here are some sobering facts: ALS strikes without discrimination and there is no known cause or cure. More than 20,000 people across the country are diagnosed with this disease that slowly robs their body of the ability to move and even breathe, but they aren’t the only ones affected – their families are, too. Costs to families living with ALS are can be an ASTOUNDING $250,000+ a year -- which is why the money raised through the Walk is so crucial. ALS United of Georgia has been a crucial part in supporting patients and families living with this devastating disease, and the Walk to Defeat ALS has been a huge part of that for 25 years. I can’t wait to see how much more we can do in the next 25 years.

That's why we’re walking – for those who can’t. Please make a donation today and support our efforts to make a difference for people living with this disease.
Any amount is greatly appreciated and will have an impact on those living with ALS.

Together, we can create a world without ALS.

With gratitude,

The members of Fred’s First Down Pack