(Editor’s Note: Cole Spector has launched a campaign against ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Here is a speech he gave to his religious school class at Congregation Beth Israel.)
By Cole Spector
SAN DIEGO — Imagine –losing your ability to walk, to eat, to speak, to move and to breathe, But your brain remains fully alert.
THAT is what ALS does to you.
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous New York Yankee’s baseball player that had this disease.
Unfortunately, my Aunt Marjie has ALS.
Each and every day, she battles this disease: She fights to walk on her own, to keep talking and to independently do so many things we all take for granted.
My aunt has taught me the value of having a positive attitude, and to never, ever give up.
The month of May is ALS Awareness Month. My cousin is starting a National Campaign called SLAM ALS! Today, with your help, I would like to start SLAM ALS in San Diego.
Have any of you seen the Ice Bucket Challenge on the internet? Have you seen all the videos of people pouring ice water over their heads and bodies? Well, we want the same thing for SLAM ALS! We want people to safely SLAM things and put a video of yourself doing this on the internet with your parent’s permission!
Our goal is to raise more awareness of ALS and encourage people to make donations to Project ALS for research, so we can find a cure for this horrible disease.
Some examples of what other people are doing to SLAM ALS are:
One of the Miami Heat is going to slam dunk a basketball;
Chris Evert, who is a famous tennis player, is going to slam her tennis ball with her racket;
Tommy Tune, a famous tap dancer, is going to slam his tap shoes to the floor
And I slammed a soccer ball into the net!
Please think of creative ideas you can safely (and please do this safely) SLAM something, and then have someone video you SLAMMING! And please send the video to your family and friends and ask them to SLAM something!
Today, I’m going to SLAM ALS by slamming a gaga ball in the gaga pit! I challenge each of you to SLAM ALS!
Post YOUR video starting May 9th, to your social media with the hashtag #SlamALS and the website www.SlamALS.org. Challenge at least 3 friends to post their owncreative SLAM saying: “You have 24 hours to SLAM ALS!”
Donate any amount online or by regular postal mail.
One hundred percent (100%) of all funds goes directly to research a cure through Project ALS, a leading non-profi t, 501(c)(3) organization, at www.projectals.org
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Cole is the son of Steve and Sheri Spector. Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and his/ her city and state of residence (city and country if outside the United States.)