John Gauger isn’t seeking praise or awards. He just wants to do good and to make a difference, especially when it comes to ending ALS.
When John was named as the ALS United Mid-Atlantic Volunteer of the Month, he said, “I don’t know if I deserve this.” Then John recounted his 20-plus years of working to do his part to advance ALS care and research, all in loving memory of his wife Sandra.
John Gauger’s entire life has been about service. Whether as a member of the school board or Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission or his time volunteering with his local library and his church, John has always felt an obligation to give back to his community and to try to make the world a better place.
In 2003, John noticed that his wife Sandra was slurring her words. She needed her voice as a teacher, so he knew they needed to find out what was happening. Sandra admitted that she was also having trouble with her foot. Together, they saw a neurologist in Allentown, PA, where they lived, and he said that he suspected it could be ALS. They then went to Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center where she received her official diagnosis and would receive care throughout her ALS battle.
“I had read Tuesdays with Morrie,” John recounts of that experience. “The one thing I knew about ALS was that it was something nobody would want.”
The next year, the Gaugers formed a team at the Lehigh Valley ALS United Walk. John saw how people came together and lifted each other up when they needed it most. Their children and extended family joined them then and for every Walk since.
Sandra passed away from ALS in 2005. They had been married for 48 years and John spent those final years doing what he’d promised from the start – loving her with all his heart and soul.
That love continued to motivate John as he settled in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and joined the new ALS United Walk that was forming there in 2008. This new Walk started from scratch with leadership from people like Mary Ann Wollter and her daughter Mary Lou, Joyce Paugh, and others who had been impacted by ALS. John was eager to help. Mary Ann had recently lost her husband to ALS and John had lost his wife, so they quickly formed a bond of friendship.
From the beginning, John has served as a dedicated organizer for the growing ALS Walk. He spread the word to the local hospice group in Milford, DE, as well as through connections from his church. As John raised awareness for the Walk, he saw that his efforts bore fruit. People registered, formed teams, donated, and helped the Walk grow each year.
Each Walk inspires John in new ways. One year, an entire football team came to walk for their assistant coach who was diagnosed with ALS. They played a game later that day and won. Recently, a local assistant high-school basketball coach was diagnosed with ALS and their team wore special jerseys to support the cause. John has supported Walks for 20 years and continues to be amazed by how people of all ages come together to make a difference.
John’s commitment to ALS extends beyond the Walk. He has advocated locally and in Washington, DC, to encourage greater investment in ALS research and care. Senator Chris Coons has spoken at John’s church and talked with him about ALS and Senator Tom Carper told John about his personal ALS connections.
John is always ready to educate anyone and everyone about ALS.
“At age 87, I do not have the energy that I once did, but I still do all that I can,” said John. “I put out pamphlets, talk to the local Chamber of Commerce, and get information to everyone so that they will join our efforts to end ALS.”
For over 20 years, John Gauger truly has done all that he can for the ALS cause, and it has made a lasting impact. The Rehoboth ALS United Walk has raised over $1.2 million since it began in 2008, benefiting programs like communication devices, home care, research, and more. Delaware families are better connected to ALS United Mid-Atlantic care professionals. Federal investments in research continue to show promise with new treatments approved by the FDA.
The work to end ALS is not finished, and neither is John Gauger. He has devoted his time, energy, and love to the ALS cause, always with Sandra in his heart. ALS United Mid-Atlantic thanks John as we recognize him as our September 2024 Volunteer of the Month and a true friend to all those who are working to end ALS.