When: Saturday, February 24, 2024; 9:00 AM PST
Where: Felsman Loop on Bishop’s Peak in SLO or your favorite hike spot wherever you may be located!
This event is hosted annually in memory of Martha and all those active individuals whose time was cut short by ALS. We hike in honor and in memory of those who can no longer hike.
Interested in volunteering at the event? Email Neil at nclayton@moffoundation.com or call (805) 440-5650.
EVENT CONCLUDED: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 2023 GOLF EVENT!!
Event Details
Date: October 21, 2023
Location: Dairy Creek Golf Course Swing Time Facility
Duration: 10 AM – 2 PM (~1-2 hours per foursome based on bay start times)
Please sign up on the event page by 06-Oct to ensure your team’s spot in the event and your company’s placement as a sponsor in upcoming promotional materials. Individual golfer, foursome, and sponsor options available. There have been some event platform updates applied. Please contact our event coordinator, Neil Clayton, if you have any questions about registration: nclayton@moffoundation.com (805) 440-5650
The Silent Auction is LIVE right now! Bid to win 6 Club Level 49ers Tickets and parking passes for the 2023 season. The auction will remain open until the event concludes on 21-Oct.
The traditional MOFF golf tournament will be back next year. We are recruiting committee members to make it happen. Please contact Neil if you would like to join the MOFF Golf Tournament Committee.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of the ALS research and patient care community.
***25Sept23 Update*** Lauren has elected to not run in the TCS NYC marathon this year due to an unexpected medial emergency in her family. We respect her decision and understand the need to prioritize. She will most likely be back next year. Sending our love and support to Lauren and her family at this time.
***01Jan24 Update*** Lauren will be running the 2024 TCS NYC marathon for MOFF and ALS United. We can’t wait! More info is below.
***Original Post***
Lauren Clausman is running the TCS NYC Marathon this year for MOFF and Team ALS! We are very excited for her to undertake this 26.2 mile challenge and will be supporting her along the way! This will be the second year that MOFF is represented in the NYC marathon, last year Samantha Fernandez completed this feat in 4:33:35. These women are our role models!
Lauren, who is Natalie and Andrea’s cousin, answered our interview questions below. Read along to get to know her and her marathon journey better. You never know, maybe she will inspire YOU to throw on some running shoes 🙂
Where are you from and what is your spirit animal?
I was born and raised in South Florida and currently live in Boca Raton. My spirit animal is definitely a dog!!! I love them all so much. If I had to narrow it down I would most likely say a golden retriever.
Have you run a marathon before? Do you have a certain pace or completion time you are aiming for?
This will be my 1st Marathon! I’ve completed a few half marathons in the last 5 years so I am hoping my body is ready. I would like to complete the NYC Marathon in a little under 4 and a half hours.
You are running with Team Challenge ALS, what motivated you to support the ALS cause? How did you get connected with the Team?
I am running in honor of Martha Fernandez and family is why I chose to do this. I don’t think ALS gets enough research and awareness and I am hoping to make a difference in that even if it is small. My cousin Natalie Fernandez was able to connect me with the ALS NYC Chapter and I was welcomed onto their team with open arms!!! The experience has been amazing thus far and I am looking forward to meeting my running team.
Do you have any running idols or key people who support you that you would like to recognize?
I can track my love for running all the way back to my pre-middle school days and seeing my mom run every single day. I quickly found my love for it and we were able to run together every day after school. It always reminds me of her and I think that’s why I still love it so much!! I can’t wait for her to see me cross the finish line just like my track and field days.
Do you have any favorite running song recommendations for the MOFF community?
ANYTHING disco or EDM is my go-to. Right now, Boom by Tiesto is how I start and finish every run.
Learn about key information about the NYC marathon by visiting this website.
Click to Donate to Lauren's Marathon Team
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.
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
Cypress Ridge Golf Course claims it was their highest earning golf tournament yet! Thank you to all our sponsors, golfers, and volunteers that made this fundraising amount possible. Not only did we have a record amount of sponsors, but the tournament was completely full! The community support was truly incredible.
The winners of the tournament were:
1st Place: Anthony Aurignac, Nico Aurignac, Thomas Orradre, Mitchell Martin
2nd Place: Manny Silva, Paul D’Ambra, Brandon Hill, Oliver Petri
3rd Place: Joe Garcia, Terry Garcia, Mike Monroe, Eddie Garcia
Hacker’s Prize Winners: Bridget and Paul Ready, Jim and Margaret Neville
Closest to the pin (women): Tess Boehm
Closest to the pin (men): Ricky Sartain
Longest drive (women): Terri Garcia
Longest drive (men): Mark Foos
Fiesta Dinner Winner: Ed Attala! We cannot wait to celebrate with you, Ed! 🙂
Congratulations everyone!
A special thanks goes out to our top sponsors:
Dave and Roberta (Rob) Fernandez, The Chao Family, Murray Street LLC
Shout out to our first ever Heckle Hole Hecklers! You guys were obnoxious and distracting. It was glorious.
In 2018 the ALS Hot Pepper Challenge went viral. At MOFF we were very excited to participate in the Hot Pepper Challenge during our 4th Annual Hike x Brunch event. We ate jalapeños, seranos, and even habañeros in order to raise ALS awareness in our community. Thank you very much to the Voloagri Group Inc. for providing the peppers. They were HOT.
The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation donates to ALS Therapy Development Institute and The ALS Association Golden West Chapter annually. We are a 501 (c)(3) certified non profit foundation. Tax ID # 45-4983912
