Sunday, March 29, 2026

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Happy Sunday, everyone. Cindy here.

Last Friday, March 27, was one month since Andy left us. In case you missed Nikki and Alex’s post from last Friday, here is an excerpt:

We’re still thinking about Dad every day. But we’re also still thinking about ALS. About what it’s taken.

So today, in a middle finger to ALS, the Andy’s Army marathon team is dedicating their runs to F ALS! Each runner is covering a route (or a loooong one) that spells out a letter emphasizing that statement and what it means for us to run the Chicago Marathon in October. Together, we’re proud to stand for a cause that matters: ALS United.

Today we want to share with you the outcomes from Friday’s run. The runners did a great job of mapping their routes, which were 6.6 miles or longer. (Andy’s age was 66.) First, here are the runners’ comments:

Theresa: “We should do this more often. It’s so motivating to hear from everyone!”  “The great thing about being new to running is all the PRs!”

Meghan: “My comment is running sucks but ALS sucks more. F ALS!”

Kaitlyn: “One month without Andy, but we’re still moving forward, just like he did. 6.6 miles for his 66 years, every step for him.”

Maria: “Despite the low temps today (felt like 5 degrees!) and the unexpected snow flurries (what the F?), it was easy to remain motivated to create the letter F. F what Andy went through, F that he is gone, F that there is no cure, F ALS.”

Nikki: “I talked to Meg and Sal the whole time I ran. Family and movement is what this is all about.”

Stephen: “Andy loved the Cubs so much so I went all-out for opening day and was hurtin’ today but I got the run done. I didn’t get a photo on the run, I was a hot mess.”

Zack: “My S was….steep. That was 125 vertical feet over almost 2/3 of a mile. Which means that bottom half of the “S” was essentially straight up. Unfortunately, my S was interrupted by a large wall that I, surprisingly, did NOT jump over. So I had to go through a dog run.”

Alex: “The last month of running, whenever I get tired I think, “take control Daddio!” and it does seem to help.

Again, many thanks to all of you for continuing to keep us in your hearts. We feel it. We send our love back to you.

Congratulations to Team Andy’s Army for a successful training run. You are an inspiration to us all!

Love you guys.  ​❤️​