Photo Courtesy @aidan_nelson_photography

By Lisa Parent

‘I’ll probably have a few tears in my eyes’: Hat High takes the court for ALS awareness

Mar 1, 2024 | 4:00 AM

According to the ALS Society of Canada, each year approximately 1,000 Canadians die from the disease and there is no cure.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.

This Monday in Medicine Hat, the Wagenaar family kicked off a week of raising awareness for ALS, starting with the ice bucket challenge.

“There’s not a lot of people that actually know about it,” said Gerad Wagenaar, who lost his mom to ALS.

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“I didn’t know about it until my mom was diagnosed with it.”

In 2018, Gerad and his family started the organization ‘Karen’s Purple Shirt Party,’ as a way to raise money for the ALS Society of Alberta, and honour Gerad’s mother Karen.

“It’s a big thing for me to try and raise as much money as I can to send to them, just to help people because I know firsthand what people go through,” Gerad said.

Another way the Wagenaar family raises awareness is through a sport that Gerad and his mom shared a strong love for.

“She was a very big basketball fan, she loved Hat High basketball. She came to every game, every tournament, no matter where it was,” Gerad explained.

So every year, Medicine Hat High School hosts a purple shirt basketball game, the colour of ALS awareness and Karen’s favourite colour.

“We just decorate the school,” said Hat High basketball player, Trey Watson.

“We wear purple jersey’s for the game.”

Girls basketball player Mckenzie Giesbrecht added: “At the end of the day, it’s much more than basketball.”

“On purple shirt night, to see Jared filled with emotion and the rest of his family being hit emotionally, it means everything to us that we could change his story and bring awareness to ALS,” she added.

Gerad says he’s grateful for how Hat High has embraced purple shirt night and thinks his mom would’ve been too.

“I think she would just be blown away by how committed the school is to this and how much these kids care about this night,” Gerad said.

There will be a girls and boys game Saturday March 2 at Hat High. Everyone is welcome, but asked to bring a small donation for the ALS society.

“So in the guys game, I’ll be up on the top and I’ll just be watching everybody and I’ll probably have a few tears in my eyes, but it’s gonna be so cool to watch,” said Gerad.

Those wanting to donate to ALS research, can visit the ALS Society of Alberta website.