Battle to beat ALS spotlighted in two coming events
By Keith Groller, Of The Morning Call 11:52 p.m. EDT, August 7, 2011
No one is more acutely aware of the devastating impact of ALS than us here at The Morning Call.
Back in June, we lost our dear friend and colleague, Larry O'Rourke, at the age of 46.
He courageously battled ALS, or, as it's also known, Lou Gehrig's disease, for several years.
But ALS is a foe that at the moment cannot be conquered and it has affected far too many in the local sports community in recent years.
We miss Larry and others taken by ALS such as Bethlehem legion baseball and youth football coach John Fenstermacher and Pen Argyl and Lehigh University football standout Jimmy Gum.
And, that's why it's important to continue the fight against ALS and spotlight two upcoming events that will support two more beloved area figures, Brett Snyder and Donna (Spence) Katcher, who are still engaged in their own battle against this terrible disease.
Katcher is a Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Famer who was a member of Parkland's 1975 state championship team. She has been battling ALS for six years and on Aug. 20 at Pates Park, the fifth annual ALS charity softball game will be held with the Phillies Ball girls returning to take on one of the Allentown Patriots Old-timers teams.
IronPigs mascots FeFe and Ferrous, along with the Phillie Phanatic, will add to the fun.
The event, run by Katcher's "Donna's Dugout" organization, begins at 3 p.m. with a youth girls game featuring the Patriots Flames teams.
The Ballgirls and Oldtimers battle at 5. Local singing star Kim Bydlon will perform the national anthem and the Allentown Hobo "Almost" Marching Band will add to the atmosphere.
Some outstanding items will be up for auction, including a 49ers mini-helmet signed by Jerry Rice and Joe Montana and a football signed by Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning. Both of those items have a certificate of authenticity.
It figures to be a special night of fun and fundraising, and there is no admission or parking fee.
Then on Sept. 10, the Lehigh Football Partnership will honor Snyder, the former Northwestern High School and Lehigh University football standout who was diagnosed with ALS in 2003.
The event is a tailgate at the Rust Pavilion prior to the Mountain Hawks' 2011 home opener against New Hampshire, a battle of nationally ranked teams at Goodman Stadium.
For a $50 donation to Snyder's Tackle ALS Foundation and a $15 fee per tailgate attendee, fans can get plenty of pregame food and beverage, plus a game ticket and a parking pass for the game.
In a letter to Lehigh alums and friends, Kody Fedorcha, Snyder's close friend, former teammate and Mountain Hawks radio announcer, spelled out Snyder's challenges.
"We started the Tackle ALS Foundation that focused on raising money for research and raising awareness for a disease that only affects one in 50,000 Americans," Fedorcha wrote. "As the years passed, Brett's challenges changed to facing the most basic tasks at home.
"These challenges carry a cost that is not just physical and not always covered by insurance, such as home modifications to accommodate a wheel chair, treatments not acknowledged by insurance providers and so on. In short, we cannot fight Brett's battle versus ALS, but donations can ensure that he is focused strictly on beating this disease."
Snyder plans to attend the event.
To register for the tailgate, go to http://mylehigh.lehigh.edu/TackleALS.
For more info, call Curt Schillinger, Tackle ALS rep at 610-751-3666 or Rich Knupp of Lehigh athletics at 610-758-6499.
No one is more acutely aware of the devastating impact of ALS than us here at The Morning Call.
Back in June, we lost our dear friend and colleague, Larry O'Rourke, at the age of 46.
He courageously battled ALS, or, as it's also known, Lou Gehrig's disease, for several years.
But ALS is a foe that at the moment cannot be conquered and it has affected far too many in the local sports community in recent years.
We miss Larry and others taken by ALS such as Bethlehem legion baseball and youth football coach John Fenstermacher and Pen Argyl and Lehigh University football standout Jimmy Gum.
And, that's why it's important to continue the fight against ALS and spotlight two upcoming events that will support two more beloved area figures, Brett Snyder and Donna (Spence) Katcher, who are still engaged in their own battle against this terrible disease.
Katcher is a Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Famer who was a member of Parkland's 1975 state championship team. She has been battling ALS for six years and on Aug. 20 at Pates Park, the fifth annual ALS charity softball game will be held with the Phillies Ball girls returning to take on one of the Allentown Patriots Old-timers teams.
IronPigs mascots FeFe and Ferrous, along with the Phillie Phanatic, will add to the fun.
The event, run by Katcher's "Donna's Dugout" organization, begins at 3 p.m. with a youth girls game featuring the Patriots Flames teams.
The Ballgirls and Oldtimers battle at 5. Local singing star Kim Bydlon will perform the national anthem and the Allentown Hobo "Almost" Marching Band will add to the atmosphere.
Some outstanding items will be up for auction, including a 49ers mini-helmet signed by Jerry Rice and Joe Montana and a football signed by Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning. Both of those items have a certificate of authenticity.
It figures to be a special night of fun and fundraising, and there is no admission or parking fee.
Then on Sept. 10, the Lehigh Football Partnership will honor Snyder, the former Northwestern High School and Lehigh University football standout who was diagnosed with ALS in 2003.
The event is a tailgate at the Rust Pavilion prior to the Mountain Hawks' 2011 home opener against New Hampshire, a battle of nationally ranked teams at Goodman Stadium.
For a $50 donation to Snyder's Tackle ALS Foundation and a $15 fee per tailgate attendee, fans can get plenty of pregame food and beverage, plus a game ticket and a parking pass for the game.
In a letter to Lehigh alums and friends, Kody Fedorcha, Snyder's close friend, former teammate and Mountain Hawks radio announcer, spelled out Snyder's challenges.
"We started the Tackle ALS Foundation that focused on raising money for research and raising awareness for a disease that only affects one in 50,000 Americans," Fedorcha wrote. "As the years passed, Brett's challenges changed to facing the most basic tasks at home.
"These challenges carry a cost that is not just physical and not always covered by insurance, such as home modifications to accommodate a wheel chair, treatments not acknowledged by insurance providers and so on. In short, we cannot fight Brett's battle versus ALS, but donations can ensure that he is focused strictly on beating this disease."
Snyder plans to attend the event.
To register for the tailgate, go to http://mylehigh.lehigh.edu/TackleALS.
For more info, call Curt Schillinger, Tackle ALS rep at 610-751-3666 or Rich Knupp of Lehigh athletics at 610-758-6499.
