Saturday marks the fourth installment in the annual Smith Lake bass fishing tournament created to raise money — and awareness — for finding a cure for ALS, a debilitating and progressive disease that attacks the central nervous system.

Sponsored by local nonprofit Fishing 4 a Cure 4ALS, Saturday’s tournament will be held at the Smith Lake Dam launch near Jasper. Registration for contestants will begin at 4 a.m., with boats in the water until weigh-in at 3 p.m.

Snagging first place in the tournament guarantees the winner a cash payout of $5,000.

ALS is a rare, incurable and still poorly-understood degenerative disease of the nervous system. Short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS is also known as Lou Gherig’s disease, and it progressively affects the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. Only a small handful of people out of every 100,000 are ever diagnosed.

While recent research has uncovered new treatments that can prolong a patient’s life and slow the disease’s progress, ALS remains irreversible and incurable. To date, most ALS therapies focus on palliative care and maximizing a patient’s quality of life.

One of the few ALS sufferers in Cullman County is Crane Hill resident Danny Harris, who was diagnosed in 2011 after a long career as an electrician. His wife, Diane, has been a driving force in organizing Fishing 4 a Cure and coordinating the nonprofit’s annual roster of fundraising events.

Saturday’s fishing tournament marks the annual highlight of the organization’s ongoing fundraising efforts. Entry fees are $100 per contestant, and Fishing 4 a Cure donates all proceeds directly to the Alabama ALS Association.

For more information, contact Marc Harris at 256-338-1618 or at mharris62@gmail.com. You can also check out the organization’s Facebook page at facebook.com/fishingforacure4als.

 

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.