One thing Michelle Lindsay remembers fondly is the smile on her mother鈥檚 face.
While her mother, Lucille Hansen, battled ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) 鈥� or Lou Gehrig鈥檚 Disease as it is also known 鈥� for two and a half years, she always smiled for her family.
Hansen passed away in 2010 at the age of 70.
鈥淪he was absolutely our hero,鈥� said Lindsay, reflecting on how the family fed off her strength.
鈥淓ven now, when we are having a bad day, we will remember her for inspiration.鈥�
It is stories like these which made it an easy decision for Belmont Golf Course to get involved with the
Forty golf courses across B.C. 鈥� including Belmont and Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club 鈥� are behind the event.
Throughout the month of June, golfers at the participating courses will be on the course from sunrise to sunset to support those living with ALS.
The two local courses are teeing off on Monday (June 24).
ALS is a rapidly progressive fatal condition which attacks the brain and spinal cord, wasting away the pathways the body needs to transmit signals to the body. When they receive no signals, nerve cells die and leave the muscles paralyzed. Patients gradually lose the ability to move, eat or speak as their bodies waste away and their muscles atrophy.
鈥�(This cause) is near and dear to my heart,鈥� Lindsay said.
鈥淚t is a horrific, terrible disease.鈥�
Lindsay described her mother鈥檚 fight as leaving her family with a feeling of helplessness as they tried to stay on top of a disease that is so relentless.
They would get one issue resolved and then another symptom would pop up.
鈥淚t just keeps knocking you down,鈥� she said.
Another one of the terrible things about the disease is it does not affect the patients鈥� ability to think even as their body deteriorates.
鈥淭hat is the most horrible thing,鈥� Lindsay said.
鈥淵ou are fully aware of what is happening (to your body). It is very, very scary, you are just laying in bed waiting.
鈥淭hat helplessness that you feel, and you can鈥檛 do anything,鈥� she added.
Lindsay is a bookkeeper at Belmont. And while she won鈥檛 be golfing herself in Monday鈥檚 event, her co-workers will be.
The Belmont team is made up of Lance Connell (food and beverage manager), Mike Caf茅 (club member), Troy Peverley (regional general manager for the West Coast Golf Group) and Jason Thompson (grounds crew). 
The Hazelmere team consists of Graham Ogden, Callum Robinson, Wade Davies and Aaron Varlow.
Connell has an uncle who is battling a form of ALS.
His uncle, who is 70, has fought the disease for the past seven years, and recently took a turn for the worse.
He can barely speak, breath, and has very limited mobility.
鈥淚t is just horrible,鈥� Connell described.
鈥淪o when the opportunity arose, we jumped on it,鈥� he said.
Caf茅鈥檚 sister passed away from multiple sclerosis (MS) 鈥� which has some similarities to ALS 鈥� at age of 52. He also lost a friend at age 48 to ALS, and another friend鈥檚 father to the disease.
鈥淚t was a no-brainer to support,鈥� Caf茅 said, adding that he has been blown away by the generosity of people so far.
The money raised will help support those living with ALS.
鈥淲ithout that (support) I don鈥檛 know how I would have gotten through what I did,鈥� Lindsay admits.
鈥淭hey (ALS Society of B.C. support team) were 91原创enal. They walked me through things, calmed me down.
鈥淎nd the people that we met along the way have just been incredible.鈥�
The golfers will tee off bright and early Monday morning and cram in as many holes of golf as they can.
鈥淔rom the crack of dawn until our arms fall off,鈥� joked Connell.
The foursome figures they should be able to get in four full rounds, which is 72 holes, although they heard their Hazelmere counterparts are planning to play 108 holes, which is six rounds.
The group is accepting pledges, which can be done online by clicking here for the and here for the .
They are also selling 50/50 tickets with three prizes: cash, golf for four with a cart at Belmont, and golf for two with cart and dinner at Hazelmere.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌�
This is the eighth year the Golfathon for ALS is being held and it has grown from one single golfer that first year 鈥� a golf pro at Comox鈥檚 Glacier Greens named , who played 288 holes that day, raising more than $5,000 鈥� to more than 100 golfers province-wide teeing off.
Once the funds are collected from the 2013 event, the total amount is expected to exceed $1 million, said Wendy Toyer, the executive director for the
One hundred per cent of the proceeds raised go towards helping those fighting ALS get access to the equipment they need, as well as to support the families and caregivers.
This year, 33 children who have family members fighting the disease will be sent to Camp Alohi Lani 鈥� Hawaiian for bright sky 鈥� at Camp Zajac in Mission.
This is the third year the ALS Society of B.C. has been able to send kids to the camp, Toyer said.
