Walk to defeat ALS at Homewood Central Park happening Sept. 22

HOMEWOOD, Ala. ( WIAT ) – People living with ALS, family members, friends, caregivers and anyone affected by the disease will come together for the 2024 Walk to Defeat ALS Central Alabama on Sunday. It’s happening at Homewood Central Park.

Amy Bromhead, the director of development for the ALS Association of Alabama, joined CBS 42 Morning News to talk about the event.

“It matters that people hear about ALS because it seems like it’s a rare disease, but it’s only rare until it affects you,” Bromhead said.

Bromhead said it’s a devastating, always deadly disease that takes a financial toll on families. She said the money raised Sunday will help to provide research because there is still no cure.

“We still don’t have a pill you can take to prevent it, and they don’t know what causes it,” Bromhead said. “We’ve done a lot and there’s a lot of drugs that are out there on a trial basis, but we’ve got a long way to go.”

Bromhead said the average life expectancy is two to five years, but because it’s symptomatic, she said sometimes it takes a year or more to pinpoint what is going on with you.

This also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge, which Bromhead said raised $114 million.

“That actually put the first drug on the market to help some of the symptoms,” Bromhead said. “Now we’re trying to continue that research so that we can make it a livable disease by 2030 and eventually eliminate the disease.”

You can get involved by participating in Sunday’s event or donating to the cause . The walk registration is at 2 p.m., and the event starts at 3:30 p.m. There will be a kid zone with snacks and treats in addition to the walk.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.