Backgrounder
C2C4ALS is a cross-Canada Harley-Davidson motorcycle tour to raise funds for those living with ALS. The tour supports three organizations Compassionate Care ALS, the ALS Society of Canada and the ALS Provincial Societies. Through the generous contributions of Harley Davidson dealerships, Best Western Hotels, Modu-Loc and Paramount Pallet, C2C4ALS will touch down in more than 20 cities across Canada during the 18-day tour and will continue to reach communities through doug-oakley.com.
- Tour dates: June 29 – July 16, 2010
- Starting location: Vancouver, BC
- Ending location: Mount Pearl, Newfoundland
Doug Oakley is the man behind the ride. Doug is a 47-year old mortgage broker from Weymouth, Massachusetts who has been married to his wife Patty for 20 years, but is also a man who in December 2008 was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS. The day he received his diagnoses, his life was forever changed. Last year Doug embarked on the 4 Corners Tour – an epic Harley trip that took him to the four corners of the US, and a brief tour through Canada raising more than $18,000 for Compassionate Care ALS. This summer he will travel from Vancouver, British Columbia to Mount Pearl, Newfoundland raising money to support those living with ALS.
Compassionate Care ALS (CCALS) is Doug’s charity of choice, which supports those living with AL Sby providing holistic care to patients, families and caregivers. Care is provided on an individual basis to families allowing CCALS helps them to identify their own needs and their own level of desired assistance.
ALS Society of Canada funds research towards a cure for ALS and supports provincial ALS Societies in providing quality care for those affected by ALS. The ALS Society of Canada, founded in 1977, is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS and support for those with ALS. There is an ALS Society in every province.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease. ALS can strike anyone, male or female, at any age and of any ethnic origin. While onset is often in middle age, some teens have been diagnosed with the disease.
People living with ALS become progressively paralyzed due to degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Eighty per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years of diagnosis while 10 per cent may live for 10 years or longer.
ALS has no known cure or effective treatment. For every person diagnosed with ALS, a person living with ALS dies. Currently, approximately 2,500 – 3,000 Canadians live with this fatal disease.
For more information on ALS, please visit the ALS Society of Canada or CCALS. To follow and support Doug visit doug-oakely.com or Twitter.com/dougoakley