Together,
we will end ALS.
Who we are
a movementled by patients – driven by urgency
ALS Action Canada is Canada’s only national, ALS patient- and caregiver-driven organization. Guided by the voices of people living with ALS and their families, we are building a community-driven movement to accelerate treatments, strengthen advocacy, foster collaboration, and mobilize investment in ALS research.
Through our ALS Super Fund, we support initiatives that advance research, improve care, and create greater impact for the ALS community.
Together, we are taking action so no life is limited by ALS.
VISION,MISSION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Vision
A life not limited by ALS.
Mission
An ALS community-driven movement to accelerate treatments, increase advocacy and collaboration, and mobilize investment in ALS research.
Guiding Principles
We will:
- Empower the voices and experiences of people living with ALS and caregivers
- Be courageous and targeted in our advocacy
- Invest funds in the highest priorities of our ALS community to advance meaningful and measurable impact
- Define ourselves not only by what we do, but how we do it
- Grow the movement by choosing collaboration over competition
Our engine for change
ALS Super Fund
– united in ending als
Led by ALS Action Canada and guided by an expert Advisory Council, the ALS Super Fund mobilizes and convenes people, communities, and organizations to raise awareness about and fund the most innovative work in advancing care, treatment, trials and research toward ending ALS in North America.
OUR JOURNEY
From a spark of courage
to a national movement
Courage ignited change — now a movement drives it forward.
HISTORY & founders
2020
In 2020, people living with ALS including Greg Gowe (BC), Deane Gorsline (ON), Rick Wilson (BC), Bill Duff (NS), Kerry Winkler (BC), Jody Pressman (ON), Rony Podolski (ON) and Shelly Hines (NS) took the first steps toward a truly cross-Canada patient-led movement.
2021
In June 2021 the ALS Action Canada Society was incorporated under the BC Society’s Act, with Deanne, Rick and Greg as the first Directors. ALS Action Canada became a registered charity on May 10, 2023.
2023
By 2023, ALS Action Canada fundraising was increasingly driven by former NHLer and Board Director Mark Kirton. Mark's dream was to get everyone playing on the same team to end ALS. He wanted to raise funds for a growing movement, supporting ALL organizations pursuing the same goals. This evolution from charity to movement led to the creation of the ALS Super Fund - North America's only fund that supports all organizations and researchers working to end ALS. The unique nature of the Super Fund and Mark Kirton's connections and charisma ultimately produced a transformative partnership with the NHL and 32 clubs through the Courage to Fight campaign.
It is through this continued courage that ALS Action Canada now has a powerful two-pronged approach to increasing momentum on ALS: ALS Action Canada as the platform for patient voice, leading the ALS Super Fund alongside it to mobilize supporters to fuel the solutions.
Our
leadership
executive director
Leigh Naturkach
Board of Directors
- Darryl Borsato
- Roger Charles, Treasurer
- Kevin Dawson
- Louis Del Re
- Jeff Jackson
- Lisa Kirton
- Adrienne Molinski
- Kevin Moorhead, Vice-Chair
- Erin Morantz
- Cali Orsulak
- Paul Thandi
- Don Wright, Chair
- Rick Zwiep
ALS Super Fund Advisory Council
- Dr. Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Dr. Merit Cudkowicz
- Dr. Andrew Darke
- Dr. Angela Genge
- Dr. Wendy Johnston
- Dr. Lawrence Korngut
- Dr. Colleen O’Connell
- Cali Orsulak
- Don Wright
- Dr. Lorne Zinman
- Rick Zwiep
Advocacy Committee
- Darryl Borsato
- Dr. Andrew Darke
- Louis Del Re
- Saba Manzoor
- Chris May
- Leigh Naturkach
- Cali Orsulak
- Dave Taylor
- Don Wright
- Rick Zwiep
FUNDRAISING Committee
- Gino Del Re
- Louis Del Re
- Wade Hall
- Shannon MacPherson
- Kevin Moorhead
- Erin Morantz
- Leigh Naturkach
- Amanda Tam
- Dave Taylor
Governance & Finance Committee
- Roger Charles
- Kevin Dawson
- Erin Morantz
- Leigh Naturkach
Membership Committee
- Colleen Hudson
- Kim McGlade
- Adrienne Molinski
- Leigh Naturkach
- Paul Thandi
- Rick Zwiep
Partners & COLLABORATORS
our partners in the als community
Our
donors & supporters
Monthly donors
Anonymous
Caroline Burry
Ken Karakashian
Veronique Saguin
Diane Shymkiw
Outram Tirbeni
$100+ (a-F)
- Anonymous
Akira Tamaki Charitable Account
Allen
Jennifer Amaral
Amsterdam Brewery Giving Group
Ryan Fraser Beebe
Biogen Canada
Stephen J Blake
Blonde Ambition Apparel
Matthew A Bradley
Braemar Parents Advisory
Beverley Brown
Calinda
Canucks for Kids Fund
Carmen
David Todd Cleland
Judy Colbert
Matthew Conklin (Conklin’s Construction)
Keith Crowder
Christopher Cuthbert
Dan
David
David Diamanti
Gino Del Re
Louis Del Re and Emily Robinson
Dennis
Suresh Dureja
Wayne Elliott
Michael Englund
Johnathan J Fahey
Federated Insurance
Carolyn Feric
Fore Fest Golf Tournament
Carolina Funes
Laurie Furness
Laura Fusco
$100+ (g-m)
- Joan Gardiner
Maria Gianfriddo
Giftfunds Canada
Kenneth A Gillies
Rina Giustini
Harley Gold
Adelin Gowe
Howard Gram
Granite Brewery
Christine Grant
Great Lakes Brewing Company Inc.
Greg’s Legacy Crew
Tim Greer
Greystone Golf Tournament
Ajeet Grover
Wade G Hall
David C Hann
Susan Audrey Hollinshead
Martin Horak
Colleen Hudson
Jacob Hudson
Martin Isaif
In Memory of Matt Brown Giving Group
Katie Jamieson
Carolyn Jones
Kate
Kathy Classic Golf Tournament
Keep on Buzzin’ Fundraiser
Keep on Buzzin’ Giving Group
Jonathan Keiper
Dale H Kendel and Barbara H Kendel
Michael King
Jo-anne Kirton and Kevin Marshman
Chris Krecisz
Yayu Li
Lisa Kirton Team
Lise Klukiewicz
David Macphail
Shannon MacPherson
Lawrence Maguire
Robert James Maguire
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
Raymond Markham
Brad McCamus
James Mcdonald
Donald R McKenzie
Tricia McLaren
Mike
Rob Misiewicz
Kevin Moorhead
Christy Murphy
$100+ (n-z)
- William D Newman
Nolan
Northbridge General Insurance Corporation
Ian O’Quinn
Oilers for the ALS Super Fund
Ontario Craft Brewers Association
Ann Palmer-Bentley
Passage Brewery
Paul
Peter
Kim Phillips
Stephen Pollock
Pollock Family Foundation
Provincial Employee Community Services Fund
Mike Pukalo Sr
Stephen M Purcell
Heather P Resvick
Heather Ridge
Ian Robertson
Isla Robertson
Matt Robinson
Kate Sarah Kolyn and Taylor Robinson
Stephanie Rodic
Trevor Rudge
Kathy Rupcic
James Rutherford
Jacquelyn Saad
Susan Margaret Sarjeant
Alexandra Shepherd
Susan Sheppard
Skeans Employee Giving Charitable Giving Fund
Ronald Sleeth
Patrick Smith
Sonja
Victoria Steeves
Anita Sullivan
Dave and Maureen Taylor
Richard Edward Todd
Kimberly E Toomey
Jane Tymoshuk
John Tymoshuk
Matt Tymoshuk
Kate Vanderburgh
Vanesse
Mischa Watt
Michael A Wekerle
William
Michael Wilson and Debra Thuet (OT Raffle)
Don Wright
Victoria Young
Rick Zwiep
