On September 21, 2008, 28-year-old restaurant manager Ben Davis, of Northern Virginia, began running 2175 miles from Maine to Georgia along the Appalachian Trail (AT) to raise funds for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). His goal is to finish the epic run on December 1, 2008.

Through his website, www.2175forALS.com, he shares the stories of men and women who have been diagnosed with the disease, and dedicates a day to each of those heroes. Through these stories Ben seeks to ignite others into action, asking them to embrace life and the opportunty that each day brings.

“Everyday in America, 15 people are diagnosed with ALS, which has no cure," says Davis. "Those people walk out of the doctor’s office with a distinct mission: to squeeze what is left out of their lives, which we all should be doing regardless.  For them, the next two to five years slowly take away their ability to function simple tasks we learned as children: walk, talk, write, play and run. But their minds, their hearts, and their spirits always remain. Many of them use their last days to brighten our lives, to tell us not to wait, to show us that life is fragile, to teach us through their suffering, to send a message in their death and to give us a chance to make a change for the better. I plan to build an audience to hear their stories and to help the world learn from these brave people.”

With the support of Rick Cheever, Ben will be on the AT for approximately 80 days, averaging between 20 to 30 miles per day (26.2 miles = one marathon). By the trails’ end, he will have completed the eqivalent of 83 marathons.

Visit the website to track Ben’s progress using GPS, read the stories of ALS heroes and donate money directly to the cause. The funds will go to support the ALS Association DC/MD/VA Chapter’s patient services programs

The campaign is entirely volunteer-driven and supported by nine sponsoring companies including Jackson’s, Altrec.com and GreatOutdoors.com. Communities across the country are invited to engage with the campagin by sending stories of ALS heroes, tracking our team’s progress on the website, passing out fliers, reaching out to local media, sending letters via Trail Mail, and donating directly to the cause.

ABOUT TEAM 2175
Ben Davis: Creator of “2175 for ALS”; 28-year-old distance runner from Northern Virginia.
Rick Cheever: Chief Crew and Pacer for “2175 for ALS”; 25-year-old ultra-distance runner from California.
Home-Crew: Karen Petz, Ben Brunt, Camila Jones
Sponsors: Jackson’s / Altrec.com / GreatOutdoors.com (refer to our website for full list).
Beneficiary: ALS Association, DC/MD/VA Chapter; Chapter liason, Christine Kirkley

ABOUT ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is, “a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord... [ALS] impairs voluntary muscle action – and patients in the later stages … may become totally paralyzed.”

The Association estimates that up to 30,000 Americans have the disease, for which there is no known cause or cure. The ALS Association (DC/MD/VA Chapter) is the recipient of the funds raised through this campiagn and is dedicate to searching for a cure while helping to improve the quality of life for people living with the ALS. Visit the ALS Association’s central website for more information: www.alsa.org.

ABOUT THE TRAIL
The Appalachian Trail crosses 14 states and covers 2175 miles. It begins at Mount Katahdin in Maine and ends at Springer Mountain in Georgia. It passes through ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, TN, NC and GA. More information is available at www.appalachiantrail.org.