Extreme ALS Ice Dunk raises funds to help local resident

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

Luckily for those being dropped into a cold tank of water, the day turned out to be rather seasonable during the Extreme ALS Ice Dunk held at the Trainer Games Fitness Centre in Shelburne on Saturday, October 19.

Along with some hardy people taking a dip in the dunk tank, there was live music, a barbecue, silent auction, and several local vendors on site.

The event was held in support of local resident Cathi Snider who was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and is currently having her home renovated to make it accessible. A portion of the proceeds will go to ALS Canada.

It was hosted by Marci and Kyle Fegan.

“We're raising money for both ALS research and part of it will got to my mom who was diagnosed with ALS,” explained Marci. “We have people from Shelburne and some coming in from Orangeville as well. Renovations have already begun in her home.”

A motorized wheelchair for Cathi was a big expense. While around 75 per cent was funded through government programs she still had to pay $6,000.

“We have three bands and a DJ who is filling in between bands,” Kyle explained. “We have vendors here and they're all from the Shelburne area. We have a barbecue and Champs Burgers has supplied the burgers for us.”

The Fegans were helped by friend Alethia O'Hara-Stephenson and Shelburne Police Constable Jeff MacLean to get the event off the ground and make sure the day ran smoothly.

ALS is a progressive disease that robs people of their ability to move and is marked by loss of muscle control. It is difficult to diagnose and usually becomes apparent when other diseases related to mobility are ruled out.