Above: Southborough native Linnea Leger is working for a cause that was important to her late mother Helen. (images here and below edited from contributed photos)
On November 3rd, Linnea Leger will again Walk to Defeat ALS.
The fundraiser to find a cure for the disease is all the way on the other coast. But her personal cause has deep Southborough roots.
In hopes of finding support from her hometown, Leanna reached out to share her story last year. She wrote about her late mother, Helen Grimm Leger, a lifelong townie who passed away from ALS in 2013 at the age of 55. You can read her family’s story here.
[Editor’s Note: For some of you this story will be a reminder of a Southborough family that is currently struggling with ALS. You can click here for the information on the upcoming #SHIFSTRONG fundraiser to support that family’s expenses. The 5K and fun run take place November 2nd in Southborough.]
Below is this year’s update on Linnea’s fundraising efforts (written in August):
My mother, Helen Grimm Leger, passed away nearly 6 years ago from ALS just days after my 20th birthday. Six months after she passed, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge brought ALS to national attention and saw an incredible amount of of donations to The ALS Association.
For the past year and a half, I have been working at The ALS Association Golden West Chapter in Los Angeles as the Community Outreach Assistant. It has been my role to help plan the Walks to Defeat ALS in Southern California, including the Los Angeles Walk to Defeat ALS, one of the top 2 walks in the nation. Through my role here, I have met countless people living with ALS, scientists researching treatments and cures, and dedicated individuals who have all lost or will lose loved ones to this disease. I truly believe that effective treatments and cures for ALS will be discovered in my lifetime; the Ice Bucket Challenge has already demonstrated in the past 5 years that all that stands between us and cures is the money we can raise to invest in research.
Tomorrow, August 15, is my last day as an employee of the ALS Association as I leave to pursue my Master’s of Social Work degree. However, my fight is not over. I will be continuing to work as a Los Angeles Walk Committee Member to ensure that one day ALS will not be the death sentence that it is now.
On November 3, 2019, I’m joining hundreds of participants for The ALS Association’s LA County Walk to Defeat ALS, this time as a participant and volunteer. With your help, we can make a difference for people living with ALS and take steps toward a cure.
ALS affects the motor neurons in a person’s brain and spinal cord. When the motor neurons die, the muscles waste away. Gradually, a person is robbed of the ability to walk, speak, eat, and eventually breathe. All the while, the mind remains sharp. Upon diagnosis, doctors give ALS patients only two to five years to live. Currently, there is no known cause or cure for ALS.
Challenge Me to hit my personal fundraising goal — $1,000 — with a donation to keep me going.
Please support me by donating $1, $5, $10, or whatever you can.
By making a one-time, tax-deductible donation, you can truly make a difference in the fight against ALS. Please visit my online fundraising website at http://web.alsa.org/goto/linneaelise to make a donation.
Any amount you feel comfortable giving is deeply appreciated. After all, every dollar counts! Thank you for helping create a world without ALS.
Sincerely,
Linnea Leger
P.S. Your employer may have a matching gift policy. If so, you can easily double or triple your pledge. Just send in your company’s matching gift form along with your check. Check out www.matchinggifts.com/als to see whether your company participates.
