Thank you Mr. Gerace and thank you all for being here tonight. Well my family, my friends, and their families did it

again. They organized another great event. Please join me in giving them, the staff of Brian’s Bullpen, a round of

applause. Thank you guys and on behalf of Lindsay, Kylie, and I, we truly appreciate all of your hard work and support.

I also want to recognize and specially thank the Arrowhead Golf Club for hosting us again this year, Jimmy Johns,

Barone’s of Glen Ellyn, and the Wheaton Meat Company for donating food for all of our guests, and former Chicago Bear

and Super Bowl champion, Keith Van Horne for your presence here tonight.

To me, this event is more than golf, dinner, the silent auction, the raffle. This event is an opportunity to spread

awareness on ALS. I’m sure nearly everyone knows that Lou Gehrig had it and died from it at a young age. However, I’m

guessing that most of you don’t know what ALS is or what it does. You’re not aware how it affects the head and

shoulders down to the knees and toes…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Q4kIx95aU

I’m here to tell you that video is very real. If you’ve recently seen me descend stairs, that’s how it looks. If you’ve

recently seen me drink, you’ll see that I use a straw and I sometimes need help because I don’t have the strength to lift

the glass. My wife, Lindsay, is now shaving my face and all I can do is sit and watch while my daughter, Kylie, wants to

play or wrestle. If nothing changes, I will soon be restricted to a bed with the ability to move only my eyes.

Like many of you, I am hoping and praying for that change to come in the form of a treatment or cure for ALS. This is a

rare disease. It simply lacks the numbers to appeal to the mass population or to draw the attention of the U.S.

Government or a large pharmaceutical company. This is why I’ve taken on the task of spreading ALS awareness. I

believe that the more aware people are, the closer we get to finding a treatment or cure. I ask you to imagine…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwOcDTlf058

I said last year, that a positive attitude and a sense of humor are important weapons in battling this disease. I still

believe that. This past year has been tough. I’ve lost strength, balance, and coordination, I’ve fallen multiple times,

including down a set of stairs twice, I’m becoming less and less independent, but thanks to the contributions of

everyone in this room, it hasn’t all been bad.

2010 Final Four – Indianapolis, IN 2010 Notre Dame Football

2010 ND vs Army – New York, NY 2011 NFL Playoffs – Bears vs Seahawks

2011 NFL Playoffs – Bears vs Packers 2011 ALS Advocacy – Washington, DC

2011 Indy 500 Rudy Ruettiger Phone Conversation

These are things I’ve always dreamed of doing and because of your support and generosity; I was able to realize those

dreams. You have all helped me maintain that ever important positive attitude, when I tell myself, “ALS is horrible, but

look at all the cool things I get to do!” So I sincerely thank you for aiding me in my fight against this disease.

Your support does not end there. I’ve mentioned my mobility difficulties, the trouble I have navigating stairs, and so on.

Your charity has allowed us to modify our home and to purchase mobility aids granting me freedom and a sense of

dignity; as well as relieving some of the burden on Lindsay.

Power Wheelchair Van Conversion

Multi-fold Ramp Platform Lift

Barrier Free Lift Basement Remodel

Thank you all for supporting us in this way. These items are very very very expensive and in most cases not covered by

insurance. They would not be available to us without your generous giving, so thank you again.

I mentioned the burden on Lindsay, let me expand on that. I’m sure many of you have cared for a grandparent or for a

person with some kind of disability. I bet you would all say that it’s no picnic. Imagine providing that care 24 hours a

day 7 days a week. Now imagine doing it while also caring for a two-year-old.

Lindsay has to give Kylie a bath and then help me shower because I can’t use my hands or even lift my arms. She has to

get Kylie dressed and then help me because I can’t button buttons, zip zippers, tie shoes, or even lift a shirt over my

head. She gets Kylie fed and then literally has to cut my food and place it in my mouth because I am unable. If there’s

time, she takes care of herself.

I may have got a bad break, but Lindsay got it too; and in my mind, she got it worse. I’m asking you to please remember

Lindsay in your thoughts and prayers.

Before I close, I want to try something. I’ve gotten pretty good at this. Joke – “I bet I can guess where you got your

shoes…”

Finally, I again want to take advantage of this opportunity to ask for more of your thoughts and prayers for a few special

people. For the brother of a dear friend of mine, Tim Ketterhagen, as he battles colon cancer, for the wife of my high

school football coach, Kathy Thorne, as she battles cancer, and for my oldest brother, Ray Schnurstein, as he faces brain

surgery to remove a benign tumor in his ear canal. God bless you both and I urge you to keep a positive attitude and to

never stop having fun.

Ladies and gentleman, on behalf of my entire family, thanks again for your support. Please enjoy the rest of your night.