Glen Ellyn Resident Fundraising for ALS to Memorialize Father

Glen Ellyn resident Tracy Kreiling, whose father Tom Ryan lost his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which currently has no known cure) in January of 2012, will be organizing her first Les Turner ALS Foundation Tag Day in her home Village on May 3 to raise funds and awareness for the disease.

According to a press release from the Foundation, Ryan, a Miami resident, began experiencing extreme weight loss and twitching symptoms in mid-2010, and was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2011. In Miami, the release says, Ryan had limited access to specialized care for the disease.

“The resources we uncovered in South Florida rarely collaborated with one another, leaving us to feel as though we were limited in terms of care and support, so when a friend told me about the Les Turner ALS Foundation and the extent of the services they provide to patients and families, I wanted to help this local organization and further enable them to do the important work they do each day,” Kreiling said in the press release.

“I see the Tag Days drive and other activities I am supporting with the Les Turner Foundation as a way to inform people about the organization and the wide range of services that are available to patients and families.”

On May 3, volunteers—who are still being welcomed—will situate themselves at four major Glen Ellyn intersections and locations and solicit donations. 

Affiliated with Northwestern Medicine, the Les Turner ALS Foundation estimates that they serve about 90 percent of people in the Chicago area with ALS. The Foundation has been holding Tag Day fundraiser drives in Chicago-area communities since 1994.