“We walk to show ALS patients that we care.” – Cody Ortego, third grader at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School.

Friday, the clouds parted and the rain ceased just in time for the students and faculty at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School to walk and raise awareness of the disease called ALS.
According to the ALS Association’s website, ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which hinders a patient’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement.
“Three years ago, one of our parents was diagnosed with ALS,” St. Charles sixth and seventh grade science and social studies teacher Leigh Chapman said in a previous Item story. “We were unable to attend the ALS walk in Gulfport, so we decided to host one here.”
Chelsea Moreau is an event coordinator with the Louisiana and Mississippi chapter of the ALS Association and said that St. Charles is the only school in the chapter to host an awareness walk.
“The children look forward to the walk,” Moreau said. “As a chapter, we host walks to defeat ALS and each one funds our missions of research, care for local patients and advocating for the programs needed. This is a great event because the key for us is creating young advocates. The children have an opportunity to bring awareness at an earlier age.”
Picayune Mayor Ed Pinero said this was a great event to support the efforts of fighting ALS.
“The students and families at St. Charles are doing a great thing,” Pinero said.
Chapman said the turnout was better than expected.
“We had ninety-eight percent student participation,” Chapman said. “The sun came out, the rain stopped and the kids out here walking for the ALS patients that can’t.”
Principal Angela Ingram said the clear weather was an answer to their prayers.
“I tell the students that it’s important that we pray for people with ALS all the time,” Ingram said. “This is a public way for us to show that we care.”
Kristin Rector is the parent of a St. Charles kindergartner and, a close family friend of hers suffers from ALS and she said it’s important to bring awareness to this disease because a lot of people don’t know a lot about it.
Jean Sterken’s husband was recently diagnosed with ALS in June of 2014 and she attended the walk in his honor.
“Our life is very different now,” Sterken said. “I tell myself every morning, ‘It is what it is.’ He’s my husband and I’m going to take care of him. I think it’s wonderful that they are teaching the children about ALS.”
Third grader Cody Ortego said that he walked to show ALS patients that he cares.
“I’m walking for those that have ALS, because they can’t walk,” Ortego said. “It’s a disease that invades your body, paralyzes you and will eventually kill you. It’s important to show them that we care.”
Bailee Bennett is also a third grader at St. Charles and she agrees it’s important to bring awareness to diseases like ALS.
“I want to make people feel good about themselves and tell them that we care and they are not alone,” Bennett said.