$179,815 / $175,000
Welcome to my ALS TDI team page!
On Sunday, November 3, I'm proud to be running the TCS New York City Marathon in memory of my dad, my Tato - Richard Legeckis on behalf of the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI)
In 2011 we lost my dad to ALS. What had started out as a hoarseness in his throat and a mild slurred speech turned out to be the bulbar onset form of ALS which affects speech, swallowing and breathing first. For a man who had been healthy his whole life and was know for his gift of speech, love of food and boundless energy this was truly a huge shock. He had always been a vibrant man who loved diving into the waves at the beach, playing piano, working in his garden and could fix just about anything that needed fixing. He was our steadfast rock and our hero.
My dad on the beach in Wildwood NJ in 2005
My parents both immigrated to New York City with their families after World War II. My dad was 10 years old when his family moved to Brooklyn and then eventually settled in Queens. My parents met at City College of New York, fell in love riding the subway together back and forth between Queens and classes, got married and moved to Florida where they started their family. Even though they ended up settling in the Washington DC area they always remained New Yorkers at heart.
My parents on their wedding day in 1967 in Queens, NY
My dad was a man of science and received his Ph.D. in Oceanography at Florida State University. He was fascinated by the ocean currents and even discovered a wave pattern in the Pacific Ocean which is now known as the Legeckis Wave! But he also had a creative streak and could play piano by ear, loved to dance, and was known in our family as always having a streak of what he called "the crazies". All these unique characteristics make us miss him even more as time goes by.
My dad goofing around in the early 1980s
Above all else my dad loved his family: my mom, me and my sister and his grandchildren, the youngest of which never had a chance to meet him. ALS took away his chance to watch his grandchildren grow up and become amazing human beings. We see pieces of him every day in each one of them.
My dad with his three oldest grandchildren in 2010 at an ALS walk in Washington DC
Being a man of science my dad was very interested in ALS TDI when he was first diagnosed and spent hours online researching treatments, cures, anything that would give him any semblance of hope in the face of this monster disease. He truly loved the fact that this organization was solely committed to scientific research and finding the answers to vanquishing what he was facing.
When I discovered that ALS TDI is a charity partner for the NYC marathon I decided this would be the perfect way to do something profound in his memory. The thought of running this iconic race through the streets of the city where my parents grew up, met each other and started their lives together fills me with such excitement and emotion. It's almost impossible to put it into words.
My dad with me and my sister Vanessa at the beach in NC in the 1970s.
In the past several years I've encountered many others who have been directly affected by ALS. This has to stop NOW!! Your donations fuel our continuous efforts to advance promising drugs and help END ALS. Please help me by making a donation. I'd love to see you all on the streets of New York City in November as I run in memory of my dad and all the others who have been affected by ALS. Thank You from the bottom of my heart!