July 2026 Foundation eNews - Les Turner ALS Foundation

Kravitz Krew is going 22-years strong at the ALS Walk for Life

For Gary Kravitz, the ALS Walk for Life is a tradition over two decades in the making. Since his first Walk at Montrose Harbor in 2004, Gary and his team, Kravitz Krew, have returned year after year. His team is raising funds in memory of his mother.

“I’ve signed up 22 years in a row. I only missed one because of my Mom’s passing, but I did raise a lot of money that year,” he says. Gary’s secret to sustained fundraising is refreshingly simple: post in local Facebook and Nextdoor groups, send personalized emails, and make every post public and shareable. “Use digital channels of all kinds,” he advises. “Tag people and reach into geographically adjacent groups—it really works.”

Whether you’re a first-time walker or a seasoned team captain, let Gary’s story inspire you.

Join us Saturday, October 24 at Soldier Field and start your own Walk tradition. Sign up today at the link here.

Join us Thursday, July 23, at 12 p.m. CT for our next ALS Learning Series webinar: Traveling with ALS: What to Know Before You Go.

This one-hour conversation brings together Kari Brouwer, OTR/L, an occupational therapist with Northwestern Medicine’s Neuromuscular outpatient clinic, and Craig and Emily Mandell, who have explored Paris, London, national parks, and more since Craig’s ALS diagnosis in 2024. Together, they’ll share honest stories and hard-won advice on navigating travel—from practical planning strategies and adaptive equipment to the emotional side of getting out and seeing the world.

Following the discussion, stick around for a live Q&A; your questions are welcome and encouraged.

The Les Turner ALS Foundation is proud to offer this webinar at no cost to the ALS community. Thank you to the Gilbert & Jacqueline Fern Foundation, Biogen & Shionogi for sponsoring this webinar.

Please register now at the link.

Submit a photo for the March of Faces

Honor a loved one this year by including them on a March of Faces banner at the ALS Walk for Life on October 24 at Soldier Field.

The March of Faces, a moving pictorial display of our community members who have faced ALS, was conceived by Kyle Hahn in 1997 and has been a cherished part of the Walk ever since. Banners from years past going back to 2003 will be displayed together at the Walk, and selected photos may be shared globally through the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. If you’ve already submitted a photo in previous years, no need to resubmit.

There is no cost to participate; click the link to submit your entry.

Guide Spotlight: ALS & Genetic Counseling and Testing for Family Members

If you have a family history of ALS, FTD, or related conditions, you may wonder about your own risk. Genetic counseling and predictive testing can provide clarity — and our ALS & Genetic Counseling and Testing for Family Members guide is here to walk you through every step. It explains how genetic counselors assess your personal risk, what predictive testing can (and can’t) tell you, and what results might mean for your health, your children, and family planning.

The guide also covers emotional considerations, cost, legal protections under GINA, and practical communication tips. Interactive tools like the My ALS Decision Tool™: Genetic Counseling and Testing help you explore the benefits and downsides at your own pace. With the right support, you don’t have to navigate these questions alone.

Read the guide here, available in both English and Spanish.

ICYMI: Finding the exact target for potential ALS drug

Researchers at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine are closing in on the exact molecular target of NU-9, a promising ALS drug that has already received FDA clearance to begin human clinical trials.

Led by Dr. Richard Silverman and research associate Pedro Soares, the team discovered that NU-9 works by selectively enhancing autophagy—the body’s natural process for clearing out toxic protein aggregates like mutant SOD1 and TDP-43.

With funding from the Les Turner ALS Foundation, they’ve narrowed down the specific proteins controlling this process, bringing them closer to fully understanding how the drug stops damage before it starts. If clinical trials confirm these results, the compound could not only treat ALS but also offer hope for Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more about this vital step toward transformative treatments at the link.

In Our Thoughts

We offer our sincere condolences to all those who have lost a loved one to ALS. Today, and every day, we honor and remember them.

Greg Dirks
Tom Geib
Mark Steinhauser

We invite you to share a tribute—whether a story, memory, or photo— to our Celebration of Life memorial wall, keeping the legacy of your loved one alive and reminding others they are never forgotten.

Support ALS Care and Research

The Les Turner ALS Foundation exists to care for those affected by the disease, answer their questions, support them and their loved ones, and provide hope through scientific research at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine.

Please make a gift so we can continue to deliver that care and support. Together, we will create a world free of ALS.