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August 2024 Volunteer of the Month: Mary Lou Wollter Anicola

Every walk begins with a single step. Every ALS United Walk begins with hope.

In 2008, Mary Ann Wollter and her daughter Mary Lou started what is now called the Rehoboth Beach ALS United Walk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Mary Ann’s husband Gene had passed away from ALS in 2006 and his family wanted to carry on his last wish, which was to find a cure so that nobody else had to suffer with the disease.

When Mary Ann and Mary Lou first launched the Walk, they were told that it probably wouldn’t be a success. After all, Rehoboth Beach is not a major city or big media market. Delaware is a small state in size and population and many people there already attended the ALS United Walk in Philadelphia.

While that first Walk began with hope, it grew through grit and determination. Mary Ann, Mary Lou, and their growing group of friends and supporters knew they could be successful if they put in the effort.

The first Walk in 2008 was a huge hit and showed the power of the community in southern Delaware. As soon as they saw the turnout and enthusiasm on Walk Day, Mary Ann and Mary Lou knew they would need to start planning for the Walk to be an annual event.

Since that first event, Mary Lou has always looked to find new ways to make the Walk special and to bring in new ideas throughout the year. The Walk committee grew with new friends and leaders like Bill O’Brien, Joyce Paugh, John Gauger, Steven Lee, Adele Jones, and more.

In order to make sure that the Walk would continue to grow, Mary Lou had to take on more roles and try new ideas. She worked on efforts from major logistical planning to moving tables and boxes. She reached out to local media to bring awareness to the Walk and wrote personal letters to ask for donations and thank attendees. Every idea was worth exploring for Mary Lou if it would benefit the ALS cause and help achieve her father’s vision.

Some of those ideas include the Night of Hope event with a fantastic Elvis Presley impersonator to raise money and awareness for the Walk, advertising through local media, and sending letters to encourage people to register for the Walk.

Each year, the Walk brought energy and momentum, which made Mary Lou more hopeful. The global phenomenon of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge happened at the perfect time in August 2014 as it led to increased enthusiasm and participation for the Rehoboth Beach ALS United Walk that September.

As the Walk continues to make an important impact, Mary Lou regularly thinks back to her parents. Her mother Mary Ann, who started the Walk with her, passed away in 2022. She spent over 15 years working towards a cure for ALS as a loving tribute to Gene. While there is no cure yet, in recent years the FDA has approved more treatments for ALS, including Radicava in 2017 and Qalsody in 2023. Mary Lou is proud to know that her Walk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, contributed to the research that made this possible.

The Rehoboth Beach ALS United Walk has raised over $1.2 million since 2008. “One of my favorite memories was when we hit $1 million,” said Mary Lou. “Our angels were looking down on us.”

Mary Lou started the Walk for one angel in particular: her dad. Through the years, those angels included the many others who had been lost to ALS that were represented at the Walk. Mary Lou had a new extended family, all united to end ALS.

Through it all, Mary Lou never forgets her inspiration. She often thinks back to her mom and dad when her dad’s ALS continued to progress.

“There were many nights he would wake up and call to me,” Mary Lou remembers with a smile. “He would say things like, ‘I just want to talk.’ We laughed so hard sometimes. He was a fighter, but he never lost his sense of humor.”

The experience of living through her father’s ALS allows Mary Lou to approach the Walk with kindness and empathy. She tells team captains to value every moment with their loved ones and to cherish every moment they have together. Fundraising is important. It fuels quality care and research towards a cure. The hugs and compassion are just as important and make sure that everyone who attends the Rehoboth Beach ALS United Walk feels like they are part of the extended family.

Thank you, Mary Lou, for all that you’ve done to support the ALS cause for over 15 years. It is a loving tribute to your father, your mother, and all those who have faced ALS. ALS United Mid-Atlantic is proud to call you our Volunteer of the Month.

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