For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is more than a cause remembered best by dumping a bucket of water over your head or grainy footage and newspaper clippings of New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig.

It is a crippling disease that takes life away from a person before causing death.

The second annual ALS Steps for Hope is a chance to honor loved ones who suffer from the disease, remember those who lost their battles, and raise funds for research that one day will lead to a cure.

The public is invited to join ALS Steps for Hope on Oct. 3, a one-mile walk through Wildwood Park & Zoo. Register at marshfieldclinic.org/giving/running-cycling-events/als-steps-for-hope-registration or at 10 a.m. Oct. 3 prior to the walk. A short program begins at 11 a.m. followed by a walk at 11:30 a.m. At noon there will be a picnic lunch/social where door prizes and raffle winners will be announced.

Cost is $20 for adults and children 8 years and older. Registration includes a T-shirt, lunch, and a chance for door prizes. Children under 8 are free.

There is no cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. As motor neurons — the nerve cells that help control muscles — die in a person diagnosed with ALS, muscle control is lost. Those in later stages of the disease might become paralyzed, and ALS ultimately leads to death.

Darrin and Lynn Braun and Gary and Edie Braun held the first ALS Steps for Hope last year in honor of John Braun of Marshfield, who lost his battle with ALS in February 2014. John Braun is Darrin’s father and Gary’s brother.

Last year’s walk, which originally was planned as a family event, drew more than 300 people and raised $6,300 for ALS research at Marshfield Clinic. The Brauns said they met people who heard about the event at the last minute and decided to show up because their lives were touched by ALS.

“Once you get involved in the ALS community, you find how many people are affected by this terrible disease,” Lynn Braun said. “Even with our small event, every dollar raised makes a difference.”

The entire Braun family is excited about this event and will continue to host it as a family.