Celebrating the ALS Community at the 2025 Champions for Cures and Care

January 17, San Francisco

The 2025 Champions for Cures and Care gala was a spectacular night recognizing the ALS community and our dedication to ending ALS. The event, hosted at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, celebrated a year of impact in ALS care, advocacy, and research under the organization’s new name, the ALS Network. ALS supporters from all over the nation, including attendees of the ALS Network’s 15th Annual ALS Research Summit, joined us in their finest shades of teal to raise funds and pay tribute to those who have made a tremendous impact for those affected by the disease.

The dedicated event committee, led by Bryan Deierling, Event Chair and Advisory Trustee, included Linda Della, Jared Gill, Lamar (Ben) Franklin, Theresa Kolish, Teri Piccini, Ronald E. Ruma, and Karen Sutton. This esteemed group left no detail unfulfilled and were able to gather many special items for the event’s silent and live auctions, with the latter facilitated by the evening’s auctioneer, Franco Finn, Golden State Warriors “Hype Man.”

The evening began with recognizing the 2025 Barber ALS Research Awardees, in honor of Jim Barber, who fought a nearly decade-long battle with ALS and became a resonant voice in the ALS community. 

Presented by Dr. Clive Svendsen, Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, ALS Network, the 2025 Barber Award honored 3 incredible, early-career ALS researchers from this year’s poster presentations: Olatz Arnold-Garcia, UCSD, Jasper Rubin-Sigler, USC, and Vladimir Zhemkov, Cedars-Sinai. Learn more about the 2025 ALS Network Research Summit here.

In memory of the loss of Fred Fisher, former ALS Network President Emeritus, and Dean Rasmussen, steadfast ALS advocate, the evening held a special tribute to remember our titans.

“They were right here by our side every day – as close colleagues, as beloved family members, and as dear friends. Fred Fisher and Dean Rasmussen, we salute you, we miss you.”

– Sheri Strahl, President & CEO, ALS Network

The evening continued with the presentation of the ALS Network’s highest honors, the Essey Awards,named after one of the organization’s founding board members, Richard (Dick) Essey. The Essey Commitment to Care Award was presented by Kathleen Rasmussen, Former Chair, ALS Network Board of Directors, to Patricia Schimbor, Esq. and Susan Morris, outgoing Chair and Vice Chair, ALS Network Board of Directors, in recognition of their continued support and selfless dedication to the ALS community.

Reflecting on the intensive time and work they put into the inspirational album and story of Aaron Lazar, Impossible Dream, this year’s Essey Spotlight Awardees were the producers of the album: Kitt Wakeley, David Das, Jonathan Estabrooks, Patrick Conlon, Christina Giacona, and Sydney Anderson. Presenting this award was Aaron Lazar, actor, singer, keynote speaker, advocate and producer, and 2024 Essey Spotlight Award winner.

This year, we welcomed special guests Grammy Award-winner, Sangeeta Kaur, and Emmy, Tony, and SAG Award-nominee, Norm Lewis, who performed captivating renditions of When You Believe from the Impossible Dream album, Go the Distance, and Never Walk Alone.

Joining the stage next was Karen Sutton, ALS Network Board Member, ALS Advocate, and living with ALS since 2022, who shared her story and urged action to end the disease.

“ALS has taught me to value every moment, every word, every laugh, and every embrace. I’ve learned to celebrate the little victories—like a sunrise that paints the sky or the sound of a loved one’s voice. And I’ve realized that, even in the face of adversity, there is room for hope. Hope is not about wishing ALS away; it’s about advocating for change, funding research, and supporting those who walk this path. It’s about believing that one day, we will find a cure—not just for me, but for the countless others living with ALS.”

– Karen Sutton, ALS Network Board Member, ALS Advocate, living with ALS since 2022

Live music by Carlos Calvo & Friends flowed throughout the evening to help with the celebration of our Champions. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and on our livestream for this year’s Champions event! Special thanks to our Accessibility and Inclusivity Sponsor, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, for making our livestream possible.

To view more photos from this event, please visit our Flickr album. To make a gift in support of the mission and vision of the ALS Network, please visit www.ALSChampions.org.