Welcome to A Race Worth Winning
2011 In Review
2011 was an amazing year! A Race Worth Winning – ALS hosted a number of fundraising events that incorporated a number of NEW elements. With the amazing support of like-minded people who want to see ALS become a disease of the past, the group was able to present a check for $40,000 at the end of the year to the ALS Association!
In February 2011, A Race Worth Winning – ALS hosted a Sweetheart Dance at Turtle’s 1890 Social Centre in Shakopee, Minnesota. The evening was a fantastic night that included a delicious dinner, dancing and making a difference. Karaoke Dave, a favorite of A Race Worth Winning – ALS provided the tunes but the guests were also treated to a special musical set by Mark Bronstad with some help from Annie Garofalo on a beautiful duet. It was truly a “sweet” evening.
During April and May, A Race Worth Winning – ALS was busy selling raffle tickets for a one week stay at an executive retreat in Gull Lake. The fully furnished, turn key vacation was not only a hit with the winner, Joey N., but raised $3,500 for Minnesotans with Lou Gehrig’s disease as well. Congratulations Joey; we hope you enjoyed your time at Gull Lake!
June was a crazy busy month as the 6th Annual A Race Worth Winning – ALS 5k Walk/Run brought a number of exciting changes. For the first time, the walk was held at Cleary Lake Park in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The new location added some amazing scenery for the walkers and runners, plus the participants enjoyed being able to hang out at the park afterward and take advantage of the playgrounds, golf course, camp sites and all that Cleary Lake has to offer. This was the first year that the event was timed as well! With so many people running 5Ks on a regular basis, A Race Worth Winning – ALS wanted to provide the extra incentive of a professionally timed race. The group is excited to announce that the timed race will continue in the future so be sure to mark your calendars for the 2012 5K Walk/Run on June 16th. A heartfelt thank you to those who participated in the 2011 5K Walk/Run. Lacing up those tennis shoes brought in over $4,700 for The ALS Association, Minnesota Chapter.
Now let’s talk about the 5th Annual ALS Golf Tournament – What a day! The 2011 5th Annual ALS Golf Tournament was held in August at Willingers Golf Club in Northfield Minnesota. The golf package included 18 holes, dinner, games, awards, prizes and a $20,000 Charitable Hole-In-One Challenge. The event boasted some serious competition and some serious fun with the Metzger Group taking home the tournament hardware. The true victory of the day was that over $10,000 was raised for ALS patients. A Race Worth Winning – ALS has reported (report has not been confirmed with any legitimate source to date) that by participating in the ALS Golf Tournament, you are guaranteed to improve your next golf round by a minimum of 25%. That may be something to think about for the casual golfer who needs an excuse to register for the 6th Annual ALS Golf Tournament scheduled for August 13th, 2012 at Willingers Golf Club.
The final fundraising event of 2011 was the 3rd Annual Thunderstruck 93 Dan Ryan Sr. Memorial Race held on October 1st at Elko Speedway. This may be the most endearing event for A Race Worth Winning – ALS as they work in conjunction with the Ryan Family and Elko Speedway to honor the memory of the late Daniel Patrick Ryan, Sr who passed away on January 2, 2009 from ALS. The 2011 Thunderstruck 93 trophy was revealed at Revive Salon and Spa in Apple Valley, who helped sponsor the race. The prior winners of this prestigious event, Jacob Goede and Dan Fredrickson will both attest to the significance of earning the Thunderstruck 93 race winner custom guitar trophy. With a field of fierce competitors all vying for the stock car racing title, the Thunderstruck 93 kept race fans on the edge of their seat! In the end, Dan Fredrickson of Lakeville, Minnesota took home another Thunderstruck 93 trophy and an emotional win. Fredrickson was unavailable for comment at time of print as it was rumored he was at his guitar lesson.
A Race Worth Winning – ALS wants to thank each and every one of you who participated or supported the events in 2011. It is the loyal support of the community that enables A Race Worth Winning to raise the funds to help cover costs for ALS research, respite care for ALS patients in Minnesota and the necessary durable medical equipment to provide as much comfort possible for Minnesotans living with the fatal disease.
Our hope is that by continuing to gather the community, friends and family at events like those held in 2011, that the number of people who die each week in Minnesota and around the country from ALS will decrease to ZERO, making ALS a disease of the past.
