About 1,500 people took part in the 2017 Betty’s Run for ALS at North Glenmore Park in Calgary on Sunday morning.
The run is the largest fundraiser in Canada to support amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The Calgary chapter of the run was founded by Betty Norman, a Calgarian who died in 1996 from the disease.
ALS is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the body’s nervous system and eventually leads to death.
There is no cure for ALS, but there are medications that can extend the life of sufferers for a short time.
Organizers of this year’s event hope it will raise $400,000 towards treatment and research.
Jane Rivest, with the ALS Society of Alberta, says the event helps to raise money but also celebrates the people involved.
“So many people here have been affected by ALS. It’s not a small community. To have family and friends support their loved ones here, it’s just wonderful for the community.”
Rivest says the fundraiser has gathers a lot of money in Alberta and half of those funds stay in the province to help those afflicted with ALS.
The event included a five kilometre walk and a five mile run and raised over $400,000, bringing the total raised over the past 21 years to $7M.
