Bethel Park DECA students raise funds, awareness for ALS Association walk

Two Bethel Park High School sophomores are using their marketing skills for a cause close to their hearts. Audrey Francis and Ella Dolman, members of the school’s DECA chapter, have spent the past month leading an integrated marketing campaign for the ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at Stage AE in Pittsburgh. Registration opens at 8 a.m., with the walk beginning at 10 a.m. Participants may also join virtually.

The pair has raised more than $1,500 for the effort, mostly online. They also placed donation jars around Bethel Park High School and collected about $150 from students and staff. You can donate to BPHS Team DECA.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the nerve cells controlling muscle movement. There is no cure, and most people diagnosed with ALS live only two to five years after the onset of symptoms. The ALS Association funds research and provides support services to patients and their families nationwide.

For Francis and Dolman, the cause is personal. Francis lost her grandfather to ALS complications in 2022. “He was a very big part of my life,” she said. “I don’t want other families to struggle as we did.” Dolman, whose father is a scientist, said the campaign gave her a chance to make a tangible difference. “People don’t realize how expensive medical treatment can be,” she said. “We wanted to make an impact, even if it’s just a small one.”