We’re always on the hunt for local happenings to feature at 365Barrington.com, but every now and then we hear a lot of extra buzz about an event or cause that people hold particularly close to their hearts. We’re feeling a lot of excitement today about one such event happening next weekend so we thought this would be the perfect time to give YOU the opportunity to share why you’re passionate about the events & causes you support with a new series called The Talk of the Town.
Next weekend’s event is the Les Turner ALS Walk 4 Life happening at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, September 22nd.
ALS is short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It’s neuromuscular disorder that causes impaired speaking, swallowing and breathing, muscle deterioration and paralysis.
The Talk Around Town is that a huge posse from Barrington is planning to meet at the Metra station at 8:30 am to hop on a bus and head down to the event together next Sunday, September 22nd, and WE’RE ALL INVITED to join them!
They’re walking with a Barrington team called The Iron Horse Brigade in support of Paul Launer, a North Barrington father of two young girls who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Though he does not believe there will be a cure in time to help him, Paul has made a commitment to do all he can to raise awareness and funds to combat the disease for future generations.
The Iron Horse Brigade’s goal is to raise $20,000, they’ve already raised $17,000 and the Foglia Family Foundation recently offered to MATCH all donations to the team up to $20,000!
Today, Paul visited with students at North Barrington Elementary where his daughters go to school and photographer Bob Lee was there taking pictures.
Paul dropped by to talk about his condition and thank the students for their support. They are hosting a car wash at the school (310 N. Highway 59) from 8 to 11 am TOMORROW MORNING (Saturday, September 14th) and they’ll be donating all funds raised to Paul’s Iron Horse Brigade.
A lot of the buzz is also coming from the fellas at Phillips Men’s Wear in downtown Barrington. I’ve spotted owner Peter Yankala hanging signs and taking pictures around town of people who are planning to participate, like this photo of Phillips Men’s Wear’s Terry Owens with Paul Hills of Hills Capital.
If you’d like to join Paul Launer’s Iron Horse Brigade on the bus heading down from Barrington next Sunday, contact Peter at Phillips Men’s Wear at 847-381-1282. If you’d prefer to travel on your own, check-in at Soldier Field starts at 9:30 and the walk kicks off at 11 am next Sunday, September 22nd.
And if you can’t make the walk but would like to make a contribution, well that’s easy!
Just CLICK HERE and you’ll find all of the information you need.
So here’s the part where we invite your feedback.
Are you taking part in the Les Turner ALS Walk 4 Life on behalf of Paul Launer or another friend of loved one diagnosed with the disease? If so, we have one 2-part question and we’d love to share a collection of your thoughts next week in a special follow-up post here at 365Barrington.com. Here’s the question:
What is motivating you to participate in the Les Turner ALS Walk 4 Life and why would you encourage others to get involved?
To share your thoughts, here’s a quick form where we’re collecting input from the community, followed by a video with more information about next Sunday’s Les Turner ALS Walk 4 Life. We’re behind you, Team Iron Horse Brigade!
