North Delta students rally support for ALS cause
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, August 11, 2026
A group of students from North Delta’s Seaquam Secondary brought the community together on Sunday (Aug. 9) for a day of walking, entertainment and fundraising in support of people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The annual Move to Cure ALS Walk took place at Hawthorne Rotary Park in Surrey and brought together families, community members and those with their own personal connection to the disease.
307 participants, joined by 15 canines attended this years event.
The event was led by students Akshay Kolli, Abhay Thour, Alson Chang, Sivish Shahi, Hrideep Trehan and Mehtaab Makkar, who helped organize the fundraiser for the second consecutive year.
Kolli, a main coordinator and co-leader of the team, said the group wanted to create an event that could raise awareness and funds while giving people an opportunity to come together.
“We’re all here to unite towards a shared goal,” said Kolli.
The event featured a community walk alongside food, games, performances, a 50/50 draw, prizes and information booths.
This year’s event Ambassador was Diana Mayhew, who alongside her husband Doug, delivered remarks sharing her firsthand experience living with the disease.
The walk raised about $50,000 last year and as of Aug. 11 this year’s fundraiser has raised $51,537, with donations still being accepted.
Thour said that the money raised would be able to help support ALS research and improve quality of life for people living with the disease, including equipment such as wheelchairs and lifts for homes.
“Our goal at this event was to not only raise more funds but at the same time celebrate people who are also living with ALS right now,” Thour said.
The organizers have kept registration for these events free in hopes of encouraging more people to participate and bring more of the community together.
“This is a day where people can come out with their families and take their mind off of things and have some fun with other people going through the same thing,” shared Thour.
For Kolli, getting involved also meant learning more about a disease he said he once underestimated.
“A lot of people kind of downplay ALS and I even was one of those people,” he said, adding that learning more about the disease showed him the importance of raising awareness and working toward a cure.
The team behind the Move to Cure ALS Walk hope to continue seeing numbers grow for this event in years to come.
Donations are still open and can be made through the event’s fundraising page at movetocurealsbc.donordrive.com/Surrey2026.