Ales for ALS
Learn About Participating
Ales for ALS
How It Started
Ales for ALS™ is a national fundraising campaign. It was created in 2013 by a Yakima Valley hop farming family to raise funds and awareness for ALS research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). Read their story and learn more about the need for ALS research funding.
How It Started
Ales for ALS™ is a national fundraising campaign. It was created in 2013 by a Yakima Valley hop farming family to raise funds and awareness for ALS research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). Read their story and learn more about the need for ALS research funding.
A Family Impacted by ALS
Cheryl Hanses has nine family members who she knows passed of ALS or are currently battling the disease. Her family has one of the identified mutant genes that causes ALS. Her husband, Mike Smith, is a third-generation hop farmer in Yakima, WA; his family has been growing hops since 1932. Cheryl and Mike leveraged their connections within the hop growing and brewing communities to help support their efforts to raise money for the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI).
In 2013 they piloted Ales for ALS™, a concept where participating breweries would be offered access to an experimental hop blend, free of charge. In exchange, the breweries would brew a special beer with these hops and donate a portion of their beer sales to ALS TDI.
The pilot worked.
A Family Impacted by ALS
Cheryl Hanses has nine family members who she knows passed of ALS or are currently battling the disease. Her family has one of the identified mutant genes that causes ALS. Her husband, Mike Smith, is a third-generation hop farmer in Yakima, WA; his family has been growing hops since 1932. Cheryl and Mike leveraged their connections within the hop growing and brewing communities to help support their efforts to raise money for the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI).
In 2013 they piloted Ales for ALS™, a concept where participating breweries would be offered access to an experimental hop blend, free of charge. In exchange, the breweries would brew a special beer with these hops and donate a portion of their beer sales to ALS TDI.
The pilot worked.
Raising Funds to End ALS
From 33 participating brewers and proceeds totaling $130,000 in their first year, to over 200 participating brewers in 2020, and over $3,500,000 raised to date, the program has grown each year. "Now breweries across the country hear about the program and they reach out proactively," says Mike. "They want to join the effort because they know someone who has been, or is battling ALS. This disease is not as rare as it's made out to be."
Cheryl and Mike want to be a part of the solution; they believe strongly that a treatment and cure will be found at ALS TDI. Read more about Cheryl and Mike here.
To learn more about the ALS research being funded at ALS TDI, click here.
Raising Funds to End ALS
From 33 participating brewers and proceeds totaling $130,000 in their first year, to over 200 participating brewers in 2020, and over $3,500,000 raised to date, the program has grown each year. "Now breweries across the country hear about the program and they reach out proactively," says Mike. "They want to join the effort because they know someone who has been, or is battling ALS. This disease is not as rare as it's made out to be."
Cheryl and Mike want to be a part of the solution; they believe strongly that a treatment and cure will be found at ALS TDI. Read more about Cheryl and Mike here.
To learn more about the ALS research being funded at ALS TDI, click here.
The Hanses Family
All the Hanses family knows is a life with ALS. As carriers of a familial ALS gene mutation, ALS is a part of their collective legacy. But Cheryl and her cousins are driven to change the course of their family's history: "My cousins and I have watched our parents, aunts and uncles battle the disease, and yes, we ourselves are being, and will continue to be affected too," she says. "We are taking action now and supporting ALS TDI, so that our children, and our children's children can look forward to a time when ALS is not in our family, but instead just a mention in their history books."
Read more about the family.
The Hanses Family
All the Hanses family knows is a life with ALS. As carriers of a familial ALS gene mutation, ALS is a part of their collective legacy. But Cheryl and her cousins are driven to change the course of their family's history: "My cousins and I have watched our parents, aunts and uncles battle the disease, and yes, we ourselves are being, and will continue to be affected too," she says. "We are taking action now and supporting ALS TDI, so that our children, and our children's children can look forward to a time when ALS is not in our family, but instead just a mention in their history books."
Read more about the family.
Want to learn more about how breweries participate in the program?
Learn How the Program Works