Rain and clouds didn't stop the walkers in Long Branch from raising money to help find a cure for ALS.
LONG BRANCH -- They walked for family members who died, for friends stricken with the disease and for themselves.
It didn't matter that the skies were gray, it rained intermitantly and the ocean was angry -- the nearly 1,000 people, some confined to wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, who participated in Sunday morning's 11th annual Jersey Shore Walk to Defeat ALS, had a purpose and nothing was going to stop them.
They wore T-shirts that said, "Take Steps Toward a Cure."
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. It can't be cured, according to medical experts.
"It's very personal for me," said Jan Smock Faulhaber, of Oakhurst. "My sister was diagnosed with ALS a year and a half ago. She's participating with us today."
Emerson Bonoan, of Ocean Township was there with his two young sons, Antonio, 11, and Aiden, 6, to honor a close friend.
"He found out last year that he has ALS and already he can't drive or tie his own shoelaces," Bonoan said. "It is sad to see someone you love and care about go through something like that."
For Cheryl Hastings, Sunday was the second walk her family had participated in, a way to honor the memory of her sister, Linda Quinn, who died at 57 from the disease, leaving behind four children, Casey Quinn, now 18, Patrick, Kevin and Michael. All four participated in Sunday's walk. They called themselves "Linda's Loonies."
"We walk to honor my sister and eradicate this horrible disease," Hastings said. "I don't think the government puts enough effort into eradicting this disease. More has to be done."
The event was sponsored by the Greater New York chapter of the ALS Association, which also covers northern and central New Jersey.
Dorine Gordon, the president and CEO of the chapter, said the chapter has more than 200 patients in New Jersey and has a multi-disciplinary center located at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, one of only 49 certified multi-disciplinary centers treating ALS in the country.
"The centers are a one-stop shop for our patients, where they can go for all of their treatment," Gordon said.
Kirsten Cocoman, director of events for the chapter, said walks like the one Sunday are a major source of the funding used to provide the care given to patience and research used towards finding a cure for the disease.
"We do seven walks a year, three in New Jersey," Cocoman said. "The walk program is a huge part of our fundraising for the entire year. It raises about $2 million."
The next two walks are in Saddlebrook on June 5 and in Bridgewater on Oct. 9.
Sunday's participants walked about two miles along the boardwalk, from the pavilon near the Ocean Place Hotel and Spa, up to Seven Presidents Park, south to Pier Village and back to the pavilion.
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.