Hello everyone, my name is Zack Carney and I am a 21 year old college student from Bend, Oregon, currently attending the University of Oregon. This November, I am going to be running the New York Marathon and raising money for ALS United Greater New York. ALS is a terrible disease that has greatly impacted me and my family. In 2011, when I was just 7, my great Aunt Fran was diagnosed with ALS. Fran was an incredible person, with a bubbly personality, an unmatched love of fun, and a strong New York accent. She fought ALS with a strength that I can only hope to possess, never faltered once, and always kept a positive outlook on life, until she died in the summer of 2017. She loved her family more than anything else in the world, brought us all together, and never forgot anyone’s birthday (including reminding everyone else to call whoever’s special day it was). She taught me that there is always something worth fighting for, but my favorite piece of advice I learned from her is that “there is always room for dessert.” One of my fondest memories of Fran is from Thanksgiving in 2016, when our whole family came out to Oregon to celebrate. Fran wasn’t able to walk anymore, but still made the trip all the way across the country to be together and have an adventure. She was the life of the party, and never once missed an opportunity to wheel my brother Alex and I around on the back of her electric wheelchair. She even joined us for our annual ‘I Like Pie’ trail run thanksgiving morning, cruising through the off-road trail with a smile on her face and leaving the rest of us in the dust. 

My mom Jenny, her sister Ali, and their cousins, Andrew and Eric ran the NYC Marathon for Team ALS from 2014-2016, and we always flew out to the city to cheer them on with Fran, who lived in NYC her entire life. As she wheeled around the city to support her sons and nieces, she was always the loudest and most enthusiastic supporter around. Growing up Alex and I idolized our cousins, so naturally, with the marathon often falling on Halloween weekend, we even once dressed up as Eric and Andrew. This led to one of, if not my favorite Halloween ever as Fran took the helm and led all of us in trick or treating door to door through her apartment building and to all of the shops in the neighborhood. 

Despite all of the hardships that Fran faced, her strength never wavered, and she never failed to bring a smile to my face. I try to live my life day to day and take full advantage of every opportunity that I possibly can while I’m able, because as we all know life can be incredibly unpredictable. Ever since seeing my family run the NY Marathon in 2014 it has been my goal to one day do the same. Getting the opportunity this year to not only run the marathon, but also be able to join Team ALS and raise money for a cause that is so close to my heart really is a dream come true for me. While it seems like a big goal, I do truly hope that one day, together, we can end ALS.

Thank you so much for any and all support you can give, and may we all channel Fran and live every day to its fullest potential!

More information about ALS:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive disease of the nervous system that affects cells in the brain and spinal cord. Presently, there is no known cure for ALS.

• Every ninety minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease, and someone passes away from it.
• 90% of ALS cases occur without any known family history or genetic cause. The remaining 10% of ALS cases are inherited through a mutated gene with a known connection to the disease.
• 55 is the average age of onset with most people who develop ALS between the ages of 40 and 70. However, cases of the disease do occur in people in their twenties and thirties.
• ALS is 20% more common in men than women. However, with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women.
• Military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease than the general public for yet unknown reasons.

I joined Team ALS to push my physical limits for those who can't anymore. I want to bring hope, raise awareness and make an impact - and you can help me! Please donate, because -

Together, We End ALS!