On March 23, 2018, the fitness industry came together for the 13th annual BASH for Augie’s Quest, raising a total of $6,068,273 in just one night.
Founded by Augie and Lynne Nieto, Augie’s Quest is dedicated to finding treatments and cures for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Augie was diagnosed with ALS in 2005.
The millions raised at the BASH will help move the drug AT-1501 into human trials this year, in addition to helping enroll additional patients into the precision medicine program.
During the event, Orangetheory Fitness announced it had raised $4 million in a span of three weeks for Augie’s Quest as part of its #IBurn4ALS campaign.
“The fitness industry has continued to rally around Augie and his Quest to Cure ALS for 13 years,” said Kelly Campbell, the development and fitness industry director for Augie’s Quest and ALS Therapy Development Institute. “This unifying event has become a celebration of the tremendous impact one industry has had on ALS research.”
Kevin McHugh, the COO of The Atlantic Club, was also honored with the Augie’s Quest Leadership Award. McHugh has been a key driver for The Team Quest4ALS Endurance fundraising program. “The Team Quest4ALS Endurance Program is Kevin’s vision,” said Campbell. “He’s worked tirelessly to make it a huge success. It’s raised over $1 million in the first 18 months.”
When asked about the award, McHugh said, “To get recognized was great. But I only got the award because of all the hard work of everyone who works with me. So many people have been a part of what we at The Atlantic Club do and made that award possible.”
McHugh explained he’s so passionate about supporting Augie’s Quest because he feels confident a cure for ALS is eminent. “I believe there’s a cure, and it’s just a question of money,” he said. “If we can find the funds and resources to help bring a cure to the table, that’s pretty amazing. There are a lot of small and big players who will help find a cure, and I think it’s cool we’ll be able to one day look back and say we had a part in it.”
For clubs looking to support Augie’s Quest throughout the rest of the year, consider joining Team Quest4ALS. Contact Augie’s Quest headquarters to find the right fit for your company at augiesquest@als.net.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
