Tampa charity walk surpasses fundraising goal by more than $25,000
There aren’t many days when the roar of 100 motorcycles can be heard rumbling through a college campus in unison.
This past Saturday, members of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club of Tampa and more than 1,000 people gathered at the University of South Florida campus to show their support at the Tampa Bay Walk to Defeat ALS.
Drawing participants from all around the state, the two-mile trek raised nearly $200,000, toward supporting research, programs and patient care through the Florida chapter of the ALS Association.
“This year is momentous for our chapter,” said Maggie Nolan, regional development manager of the ALS Association Florida Chapter. “For the first time we’ve hit the fundraising mark before the walk even begins.”
The top team of the event, “Belinda’s Heroes of Hope,” was led by Belinda Poole, mother of two and member of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club. Despite being afflicted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Poole rallied her team in raising more than $30,000.
Members of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club of Tampa rolled in early to join the pre-walk festivities at the Tampa Bay Area Walk to Defeat ALS at the University of South Florida.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing the body’s muscles to weaken. As a result they atrophy, including those that involve speech, swallowing, the use of one’s limbs and eventually the ability to breathe.
There is no known cause or cure, and the average life span after diagnosis is two to five years.
Despite the uncertain outlook, spirits were high as supporters of all ages and backgrounds cheered on their efforts at the walk. Poole’s son Bryson, 10, led the Kids Quest for Charity team, organizing the sign up and a variety of fun events for other children his age to join in on during the walk.
Even furry friends like Moose, join in on the walk with owner Brittany Golden, member of the University of South Florida team, “The Unstoppables.”
The Iron Order motorcyclists weren’t the only special guests in attendance.
Major League Baseball legend Lou Piniella served as honorary walk manager of the walk as a way of commemorating his late father-in-law, Frank Garcia.
“I’ve experience first-hand the devastation that ALS can bring to an individual and a family,” said Piniella. “My father-in-law contracted ALS in the year 2000 and this was a man that was vibrant, active. In a short period of time, things really changed dramatically.”
Piniella cites walk-a-thons like the Tampa Bay Walk to Defeat ALS as the reason that people suffering from the disease and their families can now receive care and treatment in their local communities.
“At the time my father-in-law was diagnosed with ALS, there were no facilities here in the Tampa area,” Piniella said. “We had to take him to Miami to get him diagnosed and to start the treatment, so we’re so fortunate that now we have a local chapter of the association and great treatment at the Moffitt Center.”
Besides surpassing the fundraising goal for the walk, the ALS Association also observed the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s speech, a memorable moment in baseball history where the renowned World Series champion addressed his fans about his retirement due to the diagnosis of the disease.
The association chose to unveil their newest awareness campaign, “Love Letters,” in honor of this anniversary. The advertisement features family members creating messages of support directed to their loved ones affected by ALS by arranging a variety of words taken straight from Lou Gehrig’s speech on a magnetic backdrop.
“To us, events like these are more than just fundraising and money,” said Kim Hanna, president and chief executive officer of the ALS Association Florida Chapter. “They’re about being able to show that there’s still hope in finding a cure and that families are not alone.”
Carrie Chau 