The entire ARENA team is proud to announce our sponsorship of the 122-Mile Tony Hendra ALS Ride for Life this year!
This charitable & athletic event, a 122-Mile bike ride, will be held on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Its path begins in Westhampton, NY, and runs all the way out to the Montauk Lighthouse in Montauk, NY before returning to Westhampton, NY.
With members of the ARENA team based in New York, we knew we had to get involved!
ARENA is contributing a sponsorship donation to the cause, and will be providing each rider with a gear bag, water bottle and a sweat towel to accompany them on their Long Island trek.
This patient-driven volunteer organization was established in 1997 by Chris Pendergast and his wife Christine Pendergast. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that causes nerve cells in the body to stop working, which leads to debilitating conditions. With a lack of these nerve cells, ALS patients lose the ability to move their muscles, which leads to paralysis.
Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS progresses non-linearly. Those that develop the disease will typically succumb to its symptoms over a 2-5 period.
Without a well-understood catalyst for this fatal disease, it's clear that an abundance of research still needs to be performed in search of a cure!
Additionally, an ALS patient's family spends up to $200,000 per year, highlighting the need for funding for both the research and patient needs.
The US spends up to an estimated $1.02B nationally on ALS annually as of 2023. Since its inception in 1997, the ALSRFL organization has raised millions of dollars and donated those funds directly to these causes.
If you can swing it, please consider donating to the GoFundMe for this incredible cause as we all work together to provide a better quality of life for those battling ALS, and to ultimately find a cure!
To learn more about ALS and the Ride for Life organization, visit their website at alsrideforlife.org
