Nonprofit Fishing 4 a Cure 4 ALS hopes to make its vendor & crafts fair an annual event. / Heather Mann
CULLMAN – For years, the Harris family and their associates have helped raise funds and awareness in Cullman for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's Disease). Founded in honor of Danny Harris, who is battling the disease, the group hosts an annual bass fishing fundraiser in the fall, but recently they decided to add another event to the calendar. Organized by Megan Harris, the group’s first of what it hopes to make an annual vendor and crafts fair was held at the Festhalle Saturday evening.
The fair hosted almost 20 vendors – though the group hopes that the event will grow larger in future years – and also provided live music from the Coleman Brothers. The vendors included Strength by Design, JewelScent, Perfectly Posh, Housewife Handcrafted, LipSense, Plunder, Mary Kay, adornable.u, Scentsy, doTERRA, Turquoise Cotton Boutique, Mental Healthcare of Cullman, Magic of Mickey and Lula Roe (the inspiration to have a craft fair in the first place). Visitors could choose from a wide variety of clothing, makeup, scented candles, jewelry and self-care products.
Fishing 4 a Cure 4 ALS is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working with the Alabama chapter of the ALS Association, and all proceeds from their events are put toward patient care and medical research. Currently there is no cure for ALS, but there are certain treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.
ALS is a progressive neurological disorder that kills motor neurons, causing increasing paralysis which often leads to death. The disease typically develops between the ages of 40-70 (though diagnoses in 20-30-year-olds aren't unheard of), and military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with it. Since it results from a genetic mutation, it is not contagious, though it can develop in anyone with the mutation at any time regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. More than half of all patients will live more than three years after being diagnosed, a quarter up to five years, 10 percent living 10 years, and five percent living over 20 years after being diagnosed.
For more information about the disease, visit www.alsa.org (ALS Association) or www.nih.gov (National Institutes of Health). For more information about Fishing 4 a Cure 4 ALS, visit www.facebook.com/FishingforACure4ALS, where you can find out more about the group’s annual bass fishing tournament. This year’s tournament will be held on Sept. 23 at Smith Lake.
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