Swimmers Take to Lake Michigan to Raise $150,000 for ALS Research

Dough McConnell (second from right), co-founder of A Long Swim, awards Dr. Ozdinler (right) $150,000 to support her ALS research. Photo credit: Bob Lee

September 27, 2024

Despite windy and rainy conditions, 200 swimmers plunged into Lake Michigan on September 22 to raise $150,000 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The event was hosted by A Long Swim, a Chicago-based foundation led by Doug McConnell, who established the nonprofit with his sister, Ellen Blakeman, after their father passed away from ALS. Today, A Long Swim’s fundraising primarily supports a research fellowship in memory of Ellen, after she, too, passed away from the disease. Since its founding in 2011, A Long Swim has raised almost $2 million for ALS research.

The weather was not the only setback the swimmers faced this year, as just weeks before, the city redirected the swim from its scheduled location in the Chicago River to Ohio Street Beach on Lake Michigan. But, the swimmers persevered, according to event organizers. Many swam in memory of those they had lost to ALS, from family and friends to co-workers and swimming coaches.

“The day was amazing. The swimmers’ willingness to roll with the punches was apparent, as it was clear that they were motivated by the charity elements of the event,” McConnell said. “The fundraising from all of the swimmers was overwhelming.”

A Long Swim organizers, swimmers, and spectators at the September 22 event at Ohio Street Beach on Lake Michigan. Photo credit: Bob Lee

The money raised for the event was awarded to Hande Ozdinler, PhD, an associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and a prominent ALS scientist.

“Without A Long Swim's long-lasting support, we would not be able to delve into the uncharted territories of innovative and translational research that focuses on the brain component of ALS,” Dr. Ozdinler said of her lab’s critical relationship with A Long Swim.

ALS is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease with an average survival rate of three years. There are an estimated 350,000 cases of ALS worldwide, and the symptoms and progression of the disease can vary greatly by person. The degeneration of neurons leads to muscle weakness and impaired speaking, swallowing, and breathing, eventually causing paralysis and death.

Dr. Ozdinler was the first high-profile ALS scientist in the world to identify the importance of studying the mechanisms for deterioration of upper motor neurons in patients with ALS. The funds raised by A Long Swim will support the Ozdinler Lab’s research into understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for early vulnerability and progressive degeneration of upper motor neurons, an area of study that has become an essential area of focus among ALS researchers worldwide.

She added that A Long Swim's support has enabled the Ozdinler Lab to collaborate with a team of multidisciplinary scientists focused upon innovation and impact, including Richard B. Silverman, PhD, Colby S. Thaxton, MD, PhD, Marco Martina, MD, MSc, PhD, and others.