Dean Hartman with wife, Carolyn Hartman Martz with the “hero.”
The ALS Association Golden West Chapter is proud to announce that Dean “Dino” Hartman will be the recipient of the 2019 Walk Hero Award at the 17th annual Ventura‐Santa Barbara County Walk to Defeat ALS. The award is presented to an individual who is making courageous and inspirational efforts in the areas of advocacy, fundraising, and public awareness while living with ALS.
The walk will be held on Sunday, October 6 at Plaza Park, 651 E. Thompson Blvd. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. with opening ceremonies beginning at 10:15 a.m. The event will feature speakers, the presentation of the 2019 Walk Hero Award and 2019 Community Champion Award to Superior Mobility. At 11:00 a.m., the 2 mile Walk will head towards Downtown Ventura, proceed along the Promenade and return to Plaza Park.
The event is free and open to the public, and all funds raised support the mission‐critical priorities of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter in Care Services, Public Policy, and Research. This year’s goal is to raise $105,000 to advance the search for effective treatments and cures for ALS and to serve the diverse, urgent needs of the ALS community in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The mission of The ALS Association is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS does not discriminate ‐‐ women and men of all ages and backgrounds are at risk, though for unknown reasons veterans are diagnosed with ALS twice as often as civilians. People with ALS lose their ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually the ability to breathe, while all five senses continue to function normally. At this time, there is no known cure.
Dean, along with his family and friends, has participated in the Ventura‐Santa Barbara County Walk to Defeat ALS as team “Dino’s Angels” since 2016 and have raised over $30,000 in support of the mission of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter. “The 2019 Walk Hero Award means so much to me, and I am humbled by the honor. I have met many friends afflicted with the same disease and we support one another and encourage ourselves to live life to the fullest,” said Dean.
Online registration is free. For more information, to register for the event, or make a gift in support, visit http://www.alsa.org.
