A bucket of ice for hope and awareness
Castle Pines City Councilman Chris Eubanks getting chilly by taking part in the 10th anniversary of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
It has been 10 years since the ALS organization’s ice bucket challenge, where more than 17 million people across the globe dumped ice water on their heads to raise awareness and donations for ALS; $115 million was raised for research and for care for those living with the disease.
Castle Pines City Councilman Chris Eubanks responded to a challenge from a resident, Larry Harms, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and active board member of ALS United Rocky Mountain.
Chris did not hesitate and agreed to continue to raise awareness for ALS.
“I did some research and discovered that Colonel Harms is a decorated veteran who served our country for more 20 years,” shared Chris. “As a private pilot myself with a passion for aviation, learning that Colonel Harms was also a military pilot was a delightful surprise. While I knew he was an advocate, it was not until later that I found out he was also suffering from ALS.”
Chris met the challenge with a bucket of ice, took photos and uploaded a video to YouTube, hoping to inspire others to not only learn what they can about ALS, but help where they can.
“I am grateful Colonel Harms reached out to me,” said Chris. “It has heightened my awareness of the thousands of people suffering from ALS. Most importantly, you don’t need to be directly impacted by a disease to support those who are.”
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. More than 5,000 people are diagnosed annually, and life expectancy is two to five years on average after diagnosis. To learn more, visit ALSrockymountain.org.
On October 6, there was a record turnout for this year’s ALS walk at Sloans Lake, west of downtown Denver.
By Karen Leigh; photos courtesy of Chris Eubanks
