"Hops For Hope" Seed Grant Funds Promising ALS & FTD Research

Every year since 2018, the Hops For Hope fundraiser has been bringing people together to raise critical funds needed to fight two devastating diseases, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and FTD (Frontotemporal Degeneration). Hops For Hope has raised over $360,000 to date for critical medical research. All of the money raised is donated to The ALS Association (ALSA) and The Association for FTD (AFTD) to fund medical research projects they sponsor to find new treatments and therapies, giving hope to those living with ALS and FTD.

This past year, Hops For Hope organizers earmarked $50,000 for a seed grant to launch a specific research study that shows promise for discovering new drug therapies for both ALS and FTD. The research study is being led by Kevin Rhine, PhD, at the University of California, San Diego - School of Medicine.

Julie Smith, one of the organizers of Hops For Hope, said that The ALS Association offers young researchers such as Rhine an opportunity to apply for seed grant funding. Hops For Hope chose to fund Rhine as his research applies to both ALS and FTD.

“We’re grateful that The ALS Association offered us an opportunity to review some very promising research projects, and then directly sponsor one that is targeted at making progress toward treatments for ALS and FTD,” said Smith. “It’s very exciting to see a project like this, launched with money raised by our local community, especially when it has the potential to benefit so many people in the future.” Smith was recently invited to attend an ALS conference to meet with Rhine to get an update on his research.

ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, causes nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to degenerate and stop working. Likewise, FTD is a type of dementia caused by the degeneration of specific parts of the brain. ALS and FTD continue to impact people in our communities in and around New Prague and all over the country, and sadly, these two diseases still have no cures.

Researchers like Rhine discovered that there is a specific protein in nerve cells called TDP-43 that can sometimes become “mis-located” in the nerve cells as people age, causing toxic clumps to aggregate leading to degeneration of the cells. This phenomenon is observed in more than 97% of people with ALS. In his study, Rhine will test hundreds of drug compounds on aged nerve cells to see if any of the drugs can cause the TDP-43 protein to “re-locate” back where it is supposed to be, which in turn might slow, stop, or reverse progression of the nerve cell degeneration.

"Hops for Hope was really pivotal in getting our project off-the-ground, allowing us to perform our screening to find new therapeutics for ALS and other diseases like FTD/Dementia and Parkinson's,” said Rhine.

All of the organizers of Hops For Hope are committed to raising funds for research in honor of those family members and friends who have been impacted by ALS and FTD.  Among them:

• Jackie Yackley - “When my husband (Don) and I sat in the neurologist’s office in January of 2016, and we heard the letters ALS, we were in disbelief and in shock. Then, when we asked how long, the doctor said 18 months – it was as if we both had an out-of-body experience. We embarked on this journey of uncertainly, support and resilience until ultimately Don succumbed to the disease one Fall evening. I remember looking out at the big, beautiful moon in the west sky thinking, ‘Don, now you have your strength back, can walk, and use your beautiful hands'.”
• Patty Solheid - “Hops for Hope is a day to not only to raise money for ALS and FTD research to hopefully put an end to this devastating disease, but also a day to be with those that have been affected by ALS or FTD in some way.  When my husband Ken (“Whitey”) was diagnosed with ALS in 2016, there was only one drug that was approved by the FDA which could give him 4 months longer of survival.  Now, the money we raise at Hops for Hope goes to the most promising research efforts sponsored by The ALS Association and the Association for FTD. Progress is being made in finding new treatments.”
• Tracey Ziskovsky - “I support Hops for Hope as my aunt/godmother was diagnosed with FTD several years ago.  Since joining Hops For Hope, I have learned a lot about FTD and the way it affects not only the individual but also the family. I'm passionate about raising funds to find a cure!”

This year’s Hops For Hope Fundraiser will be hosted at Next Chapter Winery in New Prague, on Saturday, September 6, from 1-8pm.