Residents of Farmingdale and the surrounding communities are being asked to come out on Sunday, Sept. 26 in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association for the Walk to D'Feet ALS. The event, which is currently in its fourth year, will be held at Eisenhower Park beginning at 10:45 a.m.

On a local level, the Hicksville team of Ken's Kids/Joanne's Friends will walk for the fourth consecutive year in honor of three members of the high school community diagnosed with ALS. Ken's Kids/Joanne's Friends was established to benefit Kevin Drummond, a 1978 Hicksville High School graduate; Joanne Brendel, a retired Hicksville High School guidance secretary; and Ken McGinniss, a former Hicksville High School social studies chairperson.

To date, the team has raised $35,000 for ALS research and Captain Marge McCarthy said they are hoping to surpass $13,000, which is what they raised last year, at the Sept. 26 walk. McCarthy, a resident of Farmingdale and employee with the Hicksville School District, added that an additional $500 was raised in May 2004 through a car wash sponsored by the Helping Hands Club of Hicksville High School.

ALS, also known Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of a select group of nerve cells and pathways to the brain and spinal cord which leads to progressive paralysis of the muscles. To date, there is no cure and the exact cause is unknown.

The most common form of motor neuron disease, ALS strikes an estimated two to seven out of every 100,000 persons in the United States. Approximately 5,600 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year, which equates to 15 diagnosed each day. Approximately five to 10 percent of all ALS cases are hereditary.

Allergic responses, infectious and/or viral agents have been proposed as possible causes of this disorder, but none has been proven. Research thus far has failed to establish any definite cause, although slow-acting viruses have been suspected and, in a small percentage of cases, a genetic link might be involved. No specific treatment yet exists, and patients can be aided only by supportive therapy.

Currently, the ALS Association (ALSA) is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. It carries out its mission at the national level and through its nationwide network of chapters and support groups. ALSA and its chapters commit more funds annually to ALS research and patient care than any other independent, voluntary health organization. Proceeds from the walk will support aggressive research initiatives to find a cure for ALS and local patient service programs.

As one of ALSA's leading chapters, the Greater New York Chapter plays a major role in promoting the mission of ALSA by funding aggressive, cutting-edge research to find a cure that utilizes the newest techniques and fosters collaborative initiatives among government agencies, the private sector and scientists.

Anyone wishing to sponsor or make a donation to Ken's Kids/Joanne's Friends may do so by calling Marge McCarthy at 752-3610.