Kawartha Lakes marks ALS Awareness month

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: The City of Kawartha Lakes marked June as ALS Awareness Month, at a meeting on Tuesday, June 20th.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease is a disease which targets the nervous system.

"It slowly takes away the person's ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breath," Mayor Doug Elmslie explained, at the meeting. "Unfortunately, to date, there is no cure."

The City of Kawartha Lakes also has a personal connection to this disease.

"At the beginning of June, ALS took the life of one of our very own valiant staff members, Tina Kerr. Not only was Tina, an extraordinary employee, but she was also a loving mother and wife, with a deep connection to our community. She worked tirelessly to educate and raise awareness about this disease," Mayor Elmslie said.

The City illuminated the City Hall building in Lindsay, in purple, over the June 17th and 18th weekend to mark ALS awareness month. Other provincial landmarks, such as the CN Tower and Niagara Falls, did the same.