February 22, 2025

This event is in memory of Martha Olson-Fernandez, an avid hiker and the namesake of MOFF. Martha passed away from ALS related complications in 2012. Today, her memory reminds us to prioritize health and get up and move in whatever way makes you feel good.

This event has evolved into a hybrid, virtual and in-person, event in our post pandemic world. The “Hike” and “Brunch” sections below outline participation details for the event format you prefer.

Hike

• Hike at a location near you or to Martha’s memorial bench. The bench is located on the Felsman Loop portion of the Bishop’s Peak Trail in San Luis Obispo, CA. In-person participants gather at 10:00 AM and bring roses to Martha’s bench or the top of Bishop’s Peak in honor of those who can no longer hike. Roses will be provided at the trailhead entrance on Patricia Drive.

Brunch

• Head to your favorite brunch spot after you hike! If you are in SLO, the Quesadilla Gorilla restaurant will be donating a portion of proceeds to MOFF. Use code “MOFF” between 12 PM and 3 PM PST on 2/22/25 to contribute to the local ALS community.

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Some people choose to live privately with their disease. Others become activists in their own communities. Still others fight to position themselves at the front door of pharma companies, research institutions, and regulatory bodies, advocating for sustainable change.

Sandy Morris (July 2, 1966 – August 28, 2022) was one of those individuals who chose to make a ripple in how things are currently done to change the ALS experience for those individuals diagnosed with ALS in the future. She did not do it alone, she had I AM ALS (the institution Brian and Sandy Wallach created), as one of her platforms. She worked with fellow powerhouse ALS advocates: Gwen, Phil, Michael, Cathy, and Bob. In the ALS community, she was a real-life superhero. Her obituary and her I AM ALS profile do a great job of describing her activism and positive relentlessness in more detail.

I was privileged to join the I AM ALS community trials group in 2020, and got to hear Sandy’s fireball personality push back on big pharma’s regimented processes. She and the rest of the group emphasized the PaCTD rating criteria  they had developed along with the FDA guidance for the industry they had influenced. Her usage of the word “no” and “we are not zebrafish” forced the FDA and companies developing drugs for ALS to get creative, and listen to the patient perspective. This resulted in the development of more humane clinical trials with smaller placebo groups and less lengthy trial durations. An example of their impact is the Healey Platform Trial.

Sandy was slightly younger than Martha (born in 1966 instead of 1963) and is survived by her three children. Her legacy lives on in publications such as in The Nation and in the real changes she and her colleagues at I AM ALS created and are continuing. A clear example of their impact is the BioCentry podcast that features Senator Richard Bill. If you skip to minute 12:40 you can hear Sandy’s words spoken by the MC:

“What patients are saying is: it’s not enough, and it’s not fast enough…There is a sense that the FDA isn’t really in a position to be the driving force behind solving the problems of developing new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those that don’t have therapies, really good therapies, like ALS. They need to be part of the equation but they don’t need to be the quarterback.”

The quarterback is the people living with ALS. Sandy Morris effectively and clearly navigated that field. Now it’s our job to keep that momentum going.

THANK YOU, SANDY. THANK YOU, I AM ALS.

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Ken Brenner is an incredibly talented artist living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His talents hardly stop at art. An athlete, successful Silicon Valley banker, husband, and father of 3 children and grandfather of 2, Ken has lived a full life thus far, and has much more to live.

Ken was diagnosed with ALS in late 2020. The diagnosis and his disease progression sent shock waves through the Brenner family. It forced Ken to retire from a long banking career which he was not ready to be done with. His wife also retired, and their children moved back to CA from New York City to be with their father. Needless to say, all of their lives were uprooted and their trajectories changed. That’s just what ALS does.

Ken’s retirement plan was to focus on his art and to show the world his artistry. When ALS happened, he still found a way to make painting work.  “Art gives me something to focus on,” Brenner said. “I lose myself; I don’t think about my issues. So it’s sort of a mental break.” As time elapsed, he had trouble holding a brush, but continued to paint with his fingers. His paintings showcase his creativity, personal exploration, disease progression, and his will to face the joy and the struggle of each new day.

Ken’s oil paintings are well recognized and sought after by well-established private and corporate art collectors. In 2020, his path crossed with a younger latino artist, Octavio Molina, who had faced his own set of challenges growing up in Mexico before immigrating to the US. The two formed an incredibly special bond and have helped each other through their collaborating on paintings in 2020-2021. “He always tells me he’s good at framing my chaos,” Brenner said of Molina in a joint interview with ALS News Today.  When it comes to ALS, there is definitely a lot of chaos.

The Brenner Family and The Fernandez Family were serendipitously connected through their mutual friend, Alexis Schwartz. Together, they are fundraising for the Expanded Access Platform (EAP) Program at The Sean Healey Center for ALS. Their fundraising goal is $30,000.00. This is the cost to put 3 individuals living with ALS through the EAP program for 1 year.

Donate to the EAP at MGH today via the link below. Learn more about the expanded access protocol programs and why they are so important to ALS patients here.

01-Nov-21 Update: We reached our goal! $30,000 will be donated to the MGH Expanded Access Protocol Program in Ken’s name in February of next year (2022).

 BUY KEN BRENNER ART:

View Ken’s art via the links below and contact Jordan Brenner at jordan@100collective.com.

• https://www.kenbrennerart.com/forever (Paintings done in 2020 when Ken could still hold his brushes)
• https://www.kenbrennerart.com/connect (Most recent collaboration with Octavio Molina)

Ken Brenner’s article in ALS News Today ALS News Today

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The hike up Felsman Loop Trail was a wonderful reminder of Martha’s ability to motivate and educate each of us on the importance of exercise and healthy living. The sign at the bottom of the trail reminded us who we were hiking for: all those who cannot. The sign has the names of those our community has lost to ALS and also those that are currently living with the disease.

When we reached Martha’s memorial bench, Andrea and Natalie read a passage from Ryan Farnsworth’s book: Seeds of Light Sown. The poem is called: Old Wisdom Gained Young:

“I have never heard the elderly lament,

In wishing that they would have lived less,

Having packed too much life into their years.

I imagine instead that as their tired suns sink,

Back towards the horizon of their lives,

Each moment becomes more precious.

If asked for advice such an old one might say:

Don’t put your dreams on a shelf labeled ‘someday,’

A day in the future when there will be more time,

For time waits for no one.

Live the life you want and do not wait or hesitate,

While you are healthy and have the physical function,

To spend your time in all of the ways you prefer.

And I think to myself:

We should not need to grow old,

To gain such wisdom.”

The brunch portion of the event was educational and inspired hope. Jennifer McErlain from the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) showed a video that walked us through a virtual tour of the ALSTDI lab. She discussed how MOFF donors have contributed over $95,000.00 to different ALS research projects at ALS TDI over the past 5 years. She also mentioned Project Euphonia which is ALSTDI’s collaboration with Google that was recently featured on the Today Show. At the end of Jen’s talk, MOFF presented Jen with a $10,000.00 check to put towards their upcoming research on profilin1 ALS mouse models.

Thank you ALSTDI for all the incredible research you conduct and thank you to our supportive donors for allowing MOFF to fund research to find a cure for ALS.

If you have any photos that you would like to share from the event, please email them to giving@moffoundation.com. Thank you!

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Thank you to all of the 5th Annual MOFF Hike x Brunch participants!

Thank you to everyone who came out to hike Felsman Loop in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, February 23rd. We all placed roses on Martha’s memorial bench and enjoyed a gorgeous view in great company. At the top of the hike, we read a poem that depicted ALS patients’ incredibly difficult journey with the disease. The poem was followed by quotes that embody the resilience of ALS patients. Martha was a beautiful example of that strength and bravery in action.

The ALS panel discussion during the brunch portion of the event was very well received. The panel answered the following questions:

       What causes ALS?

       Is there a high incidence of ALS on the Central Coast?

       What happened to the $115M raised during the Ice Bucket Challenge?

       What treatments are currently available to patients?

       Where are your MOFF donations going in 2019?

        Research Highlights: ASOs & STMN2 target for sporadic ALS

Our panelists were Natalie Fernandez from MOFF, Cherryl Goldstein, Stacy Inman and Janelle Webb from the ALS Association. Thank you very much to the ALS Association Golden West Chapter for participating in our first annual ALS Panel Discussion! We had a great time taking questions from donors regarding if ALS is one disease and also what future CRISPR technology has in the ALS research world.  In order to align with the interdisciplinary approach to fighting ALS, we look forward to inviting an array of panelists to future hike x brunch events.

If you have any follow-up questions, please email the MOF Foundation at giving@moffoundation.com.

Would you like to make a donation to the MOFF Organization?

Click on the donate button below. No amount is too small or too big! Please note that a 2.3% PayPal processing fee will be added to all credit card transactions.

Join the fight with us!

Please make checks available to The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation or MOFF and mail to the Broad Street address below.

The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501 (c)(3) organization. Tax ID: 45-4983912

The post 5th Annual MOFF Hike x Brunch and 1st Annual ALS Panel Discussion first appeared on Martha Olson Fernandez Foundation – Bloom Where You Are Planted..