Kevin Dispensa never planned to run a marathon. But when his best friend from high school, Ross, suggested they tackle the Chicago Marathon in honor of Kevin’s mom, Janie Gobeli, everything clicked. Now, Kevin, his brother, his dad, and three close friends are training for their first big run — and raising money for the Les Turner ALS Foundation as part of Team Race for ALS.
“It would feel different if I was just training for a marathon,” Kevin says. “The push is to raise money, show up in a big way.”
Janie Gobeli was diagnosed with ALS in December 2021. From the start, she didn’t just live with the disease — she became a voice for others fighting it. A former elementary school teacher and cosmetologist, Janie served on advisory committees for the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial and the QurAlis/CISCRP Global Patient Advisory Board, worked as an ALS Research Ambassador for the Northeast ALS Consortium, and served on the Support Services Committee for the Les Turner ALS Foundation.
She was a natural educator, and used a multitude of platforms to push for better treatments and more resources. Janie passed away last year, but her legacy of advocacy lives on — including in the footsteps of her son.
Janie Gobeli at the 2023 Les Turner ALS Foundation Hope Through Caring Gala
Kevin and his family relied on the Foundation from the moment of diagnosis. “We received lots of help from Les Turner,” he says. “Karen Steffens was her person, and I interacted with her a lot over the years.” That hands-on support, from care coordination to guidance on equipment and planning, made an impression. So when the idea of a marathon came up, Kevin knew exactly where the funds should go.
The whole crew are all first-time marathoners. “Everybody who’s on the team has been part of cross country or track, and run half marathons. Never run a full, only halves so far,” Kevin says. That first half for him was two weeks ago in Seattle, with Ross joining in as well.
Training is a grind, but a shared mission makes it easier. The team uses a virtual challenge app to log miles and times, and Team Race for ALS reimburses costs for running clubs and training apps, which all of them use. Kevin ran a 10K on the Fourth of July — signed up at 10 p.m. the night before — and won his age group. “We’re pushing each other to do races in between,” he says. There have been setbacks: a foot injury during the Seattle half, some sickness, the usual wear and tear. But nothing has sidelined anyone for long. “It’s not easy, but working towards a goal helps. Everyone knowing that we’re fundraising towards an end goal is really pushing everybody.”
Fundraising, it turns out, is where the team has found some unexpected points of success. Kevin’s biggest piece of advice: get your company involved. Every teammate except one received a yes when they approached their employer. Ross’s company hosted a virtual 5K — 25 to 30 colleagues signed up, logged miles via an app, and raised money. “Ross was surprised to find out that several people in his company had been affected either directly or indirectly by ALS,” Kevin says. “Getting your team involved in the fundraising is a good way to hit goals.”
Social media is another reliable tool, but some of the most impactful donations have come from personal outreach. Kevin’s brother reached out to a contact who manages uncommitted charitable funds — and received a $12,000 gift. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to strangers,” Kevin says. “You will get some good hits.”
For Kevin, every training run is a critical piece of a larger effort. “I’m looking forward to the race and representing Les Turner,” he says. His brother is already talking about running the Boston Marathon for ALS research. The cause is pulling them all forward, one mile at a time.
