Walk for ALS May 5 aims to 'd'feet' disease

The ALS Association's Greater New York Chapter will hold its annual Walk to D'Feet ALS (or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) May 5 at the Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park at Sewaren Peninsula, located in the Sewaren section of the township. Check-in for the three-mile walk, which is open to the public, begins at 9:30 a.m., with the opening ceremony scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. All funds raised will go to The ALS Association, a not-for-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the cause of and a cure for ALS and to improving the lives of ALS patients, who receive services through the association free of charge.

ALS is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. Woodbridge resident Abby Anderson, a passionate advocate for ALS, will again serve as the event's chairwoman. The walk honors Anderson's father, Ira, a former Woodbridge resident who succumbed to ALS in 2004. Last year's Greater New York Chapter walks featured more than 7,000 walkers and raised $1.3 million for cutting-edge research and vital patient services.