This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Ben Kennedy’s #31 Chevy Silverado will be carrying the colors of the ALS Association. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. For unknown reasons, veterans are approximately twice as likely to get ALS. There is no cure and no life-prolonging treatments for the disease. ALS and the ALS Association are particularly near to Kennedy’s heart, as close family friend Annette Farmer was diagnosed with the disease in 2010. Farmer will be riding along with Kennedy for this weekend’s 250-lap race with her name above the right-side door of the #31 Silverado. Kennedy has supported ALS research in the past as a result of his close connection to the cause, running in the Daytona Beach Half Marathon and honoring Farmer with a fraternity fundraiser last year, raising more than $20,000.(TSM)
