Brothers Aaron (AJ), Adam, and Mike during their rest stop in the Kipling Campgrounds on Tuesday, June 17th.

Photo By: Darcie Thom

By: Darcie Thom

A cycling trio, Brothers Bike 4 ALS, is biking across Canada with a goal to raise awareness and financial support for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’sDisease. The three brothers have joined together in the fight against ALS to honor, what would be, their father’s 52nd birthday this July. Sadly, their father passed away from ALS at the young age of 37 in 1994, three years after he was diagnosed.

Teeter brothers Adam (22), A.J. (25) and Mike (29) started their journey in Vancouver on May 31st and will be ending their ride in Halifax on August 2nd. They are joined by their wives (Heather, Amy and Juliet) for their motivation and support while on the road. The brothers stated that ‘though this is a ride for ALS, it is also a really great way to get to know the sisters-in-law!’

The trio will ride from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast in a 63-day, 6,000km ride in hopes to raise $52,000 in support of ALS. “ALS has a certain degree of relevance to us, we are inspired to ride because of our Dad, he would have been 52 this year, so we thought it appropriate to try to raise $52,000,” said Mike, a Coordinator at Trinity Western University (B.C.), “One aspect of it is to celebrate my father’s life, the man that he was and also to help raise more awareness about this disease.”

ALS is a fatal disease with no effective cure and with no effective treatment plan, either. ALS can attack anyone (age, gender, or race), and eighty percent of people diagnosed with ALS die within two to five years of diagnosis. At this present time, ALS is the leading cause of neurological deaths in Canada, and it has been predicted that by 2040, neurodegenerative diseases (like ALS) will surpass cancer as the second-leading cause of death in Canada.

“One of the reasons, personally, is to communicate with some of the smaller towns who aren’t always aware of this disease. I am from a smaller community and this is my way of encouraging other families that they aren’t alone and that others are willing to stand by them,” said Adam, who recently completed his Bachelor of Education (ONT).

“100 percent of what we raise will go toward the ALS Society, 40 percent of the money raised will go to national research and the remaining 60 percent will go to each province for patient care,” stated A.J., a Mechanical Design Team Leader for Gypsum Technologies (ONT).

While there may not be a cure or very effective treatment available for patients with this disease, we still need to try to find a cure.

If you would like to learn more about ALS, please visit http://brothersbike4ALS.googlepages.com or visit the Teeter Brothers at brothersbike4als@gmail.com