SAN DIEGO (KGTV)— Sunday will mark the 23rd annual ALS San Diego Walk in Mission Bay.
It will be the third year participating for Jackson Strong, who lost his father, John Strong, to ALS in 2021.
“It’s crazy. Your head spins, and you need to grasp the idea that you’re no longer going to have your father,” said Jackson.
Jackson remembers the earth-shattering moment back in 2019 when his dad told him he had suddenly been diagnosed.
“You start to do some research. You figure out that the life expectancy is 2-5 years from diagnosis," Jackson said. "But oftentimes, it’s a lot quicker than that."
John Strong passed less than two years after diagnosis.
“He brought the laughter to every room…he was a bigger-than-life personality,” said Helene Strong, John’s wife.
Helene, Jackson, and other loved ones shared that they will be participating in Sunday’s event, which starts at 10 a.m. in De Anza Cove.
The annual event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for ALS research and care. The family encourages anyone interested in learning more about the supportive community to attend.
“We call it the largest support group of the year. We have over 50 teams. We’ve raised over $275,000 to date,” said Jackson, who serves as the Community Engagement Manager for ALS San Diego.
The Strong family wears shirts with the words “We Got Now” on the back—a motto John adopted after seeing a sign on a walk after his diagnosis.
“It’s kind of a way that each of us lives our life now,” said Helene. “We appreciate each day…we don’t take life for granted anymore.”
