The Sails sculpture in downtown Kelowna and part of Kelowna General Hospital will be awash in purple lights on Monday.
June is ALS awareness month in B.C., and to mark it, select communities throughout the province will be lighting landmarks with purple lights to show support for people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a disease that slowly paralyzes people.
According to ALS Canada, the body’s muscles break down, and someone with the disease will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe.
“ALS is not contagious. There is no cure for ALS and few treatment options for the majority of people living with the disease,” ALS Canada says on its website.
“Approximately 80 per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years of being diagnosed.”
Other B.C. landmarks that are part of ALW awareness month include:
June 1:
- Science World, Vancouver
- Harbour Centre, Vancouver
- Towers 1 and 2, Bentall Centre, Vancouver
- Telus Garden, Vancouver
- Parliament buildings, Victoria (Ceremonial entrance & front fountain)
- Spirit of Sail sculpture, Kelowna
- Kelowna General Hospital (skywalk and main lobby)
- Roundabout structures, Sicamous
- Mr. P.G., Prince George
June 2:
- Northern Lights Display at B.C. Place, Vancouver
- Canada Place Sails of Light, Vancouver
- Towers 1 and 2, Bentall Centre, Vancouver
- Telus Garden, Vancouver
The ALS Society of B.C. says its goal is to provide direct support to patients, along with their families and caregivers, to ensure the best life possible while living with ALS.
It says at any given time, more than 400 British Columbians are living with ALS, and more than 3,000 in Canada.
“Through supporting research,” said the ALS Society of B.C., “we are dedicated to finding the cause of, and cure for ALS.”
For more about the ALS Society of B.C., click here.