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Community

Professional golfer takes a swing at raising ALS awareness

by Dawn Abbey June 5, 2012
written by Dawn Abbey June 5, 2012

aaron watkinsTouring professional golfer Aaron Watkins found out last February that his 30-year-old, lifelong boyhood friend, Kevin Swan, had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“It’s incurable and always terminal,” Aaron lamented.

However, Kevin took the news well, and decided to spend whatever time he had by forming a nonprofit corporation, A Life Story Foundation, to raise awareness of ALS and other neuromuscular diseases.

To assist his buddy in the venture, Aaron, a member at Alta Mesa Golf Club, is organizing a fund-raising golf tournament at the club on Saturday, June 23, with proceeds going to Kevin’s organization. The public is invited to participate in the play, and foursomes can be of any combination. A $400 donation is the fee for a foursome at the 8 a.m. shotgun-start tournament.

In addition, Aaron has collected donations of prizes for raffles at the event, as well as for an online auction. Prizes include golf clubs, golf balls, vacation packages and more.

“It’s the least I can do,” said Aaron. “We grew up next door to each other. Our families are real close.”

Each year, some 30,000 Americans contract the disease, usually in their prime of life. There is no known cause, and only one medication has been available for the last 15 years, said Kevin in videos he has posted on the Internet. He believes that because not a large number of people get the disease, pharmaceutical companies have less incentive to research a cure, as profit would be nominal. “ALS doesn’t have a survivor, and I want to try to change that,” Kevin declared.

A professional TV announcer, Kevin has produced two very short videos (two to three minutes), which are informational and full of impact. As a part of his goal to raise awareness, his videos give a personal and understandable look at neuromuscular disease and its effects on the lives of sufferers and their families. To view them on the Internet, type
vimeo.com/41308140 for Shotgun!, and type vimeo.com/40457132 to see The New Face of ALS.

Kevin also can be followed on Facebook.com/KevinSwanNLS, or at his foundation’s Web site, www.alifestory.org.

For more information on the golf tournament, or to sign up, contact the Pro Shop at Alta Mesa Golf Club, located at 1460 N. Alta Mesa Drive. Call (480) 827-9411. To participate in the online auction, go to www.BiddingforGood.com/ALS. To contact Aaron Watkins, call (602) 751-1728.

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