Running to End ALS for Grandma Ann!

2002 was the year I was born and the year my Grandma Ann was diagnosed with ALS. A short two years later, in 2004, I turned two, and ALS took Grandma Ann from this world.

Grandma Ann was a mother to my dad and his brother, a grandmother to me, my two sisters, and our cousins, and a dear friend to many. Everything I know about my Grandma Ann was passed down from other family members, and my memories of her can be found in photographs.

From what I’ve been told, Grandma Ann was everyone's biggest cheerleader, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for the people she loved. She was outgoing, loud, caring, funny, and generous. She was extremely smart and involved in her community, spending her days tutoring students on the SAT, volunteering on the local school board, and making public speeches for what she believed in—if she had been around when I was studying for standardized tests, I’ve been told she would’ve whipped my ass into shape.

For those of you who don’t know, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease of the nervous system that affects cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is commonly referred to as “Lou Gehrig's Disease,” and presently, there is no known cure. ALS takes away its victims’ ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe, but typically has little to no effect on their cognitive function. ALS patients remain mentally aware as their bodily functions are involuntarily stripped from them.

This unimaginable pain that Grandma Ann experienced—the reality of having zero control over her physical capabilities—is why I am going to push my physical capabilities to their limits. On Sunday, November 2, 2025, I am running the TCS New York City Marathon with Team ALS. My dad ran with Team ALS in 2011, my sister Olivia in 2022, and now, it’s my turn. That’s right—you heard it here first—2025 is the year of the littlest Hill!

I’ve always shared running with my dad and Liv, and from the moment I saw my dad running through the streets of NYC in his red ALS t-shirt, I knew that one day I would do the same. This promise to myself was only solidified when I watched Liv achieve the same goal.

So, with seven months to go before I cross that starting line, and countless miles to run before then, my one ask of you now is to please donate to my cause. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated by me, Team ALS, and anyone who has ever been personally affected by this terrible disease. Together, let’s end ALS for Grandma Ann! Love you, Grandma.