Traverse ALS Regatta

Dear Donors,

Thank you for your recent, generous gifts to the Traverse Regatta to Benefit ALS Research. Your willingness to fund innovative research projects to develop effective treatments and a cure for ALS, will make a difference in the lives of others like Chris and their families. Although we are finalizing the count, we know your donations, in concert with those raised at the event, more than doubled our original contribution goal to fight for a cure! These donations will help sustain the 22 research projects actively in process at ALS-TDI.

The regatta educated and fostered ALS awareness in junior and senior sailors and ignited their interest in working toward a cure. As a result of the regatta, we have a collegiate sailor who is now pursuing an ALS research internship!

Additionally, we made Chris Traverse’s dream of racing on the Upper and Lower lakes come true and saw him happier than he has been in many months. And most important to Chris, it provided a great day of sailing for our junior sailors.

Gratefully yours,

The Traverse Regatta to Benefit ALS Research Committee

After an accomplished youth sailing career, Chris returned to MBC with his own family, to teach his daughters, Elyse and Jamie, to sail. Both daughters were winners of the N-10 National Championships. In 1993 Chris was asked to volunteer as Head of Sail and revitalize the Junior Sail Program. He immediately launched the idea of attracting beginner sailors by convincing the club to purchase 8 N-10’s, making sailing accessible to any child regardless of their family’s ability to buy a boat. He ultimately expanded the program to over 100 sailors comprised of beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

Chris possesses an innate talent for simplifying complex concepts into manageable pieces and works tirelessly, with a lot of humor, to reach each child in any pursuit. He emphasizes that sailing is about so much more than racing: building self- confidence, independence, strategic thinking, determination, endurance, patience, sportsmanship and most importantly having fun. He received the most gratification from “seeing kids accomplish something they thought they couldn’t”.  Chris never restricted his encouragement and knowledge to MBC juniors and was committed to growing the N-10 fleet.  His goal has always been to give back freely what had been given to him. As a result, he has bestowed these gifts to countless sailors in the Greater Boston area and in the process has become beloved by so many parents, children and fellow sailors he has touched.

Please join us at the Medford Boat Club on July 26^th to celebrate Chris and his fight to end ALS by participating in the Traverse Regatta to Benefit ALS Research.  All proceeds from the Traverse Regatta will go to ALS-TDI a nonprofit biotechnology organization dedicated to developing effective treatments for ALS.  To donate directly to ALS-TDI, please donate here on the community page! (To volunteer at the event please send an email to tjdarty1@aol.com).

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

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