Miss Jefferson County Emma Terry Teams Up With BPL for ALS Awareness Month

 

Miss Jefferson County 2024, Emma Terry, had a display at the Central Library last week for ALS Awareness Month.  ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, killed her grandfather in April. 

Miss Jefferson County 2024 Emma Terry is appearing at the Drive Out ALS Cruise-In this Saturday, May 11, at the Shops of Grand River in Leeds. She has a nonprofit raising awareness about the disease. 

 

Birmingham, Ala. - As 2024 Miss Jefferson County and a titleholder within the Miss America Organization, Emma Terry is raising awareness about ALS, a crippling disease that has affected her family personally. Emma has a community service initiative, Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time, which she founded in honor of her grandfather's battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

May is ALS Awareness Month and Emma is working with the Birmingham Public Library to educate the public about the disease. Last week, Emma Terry appeared at the Central Library downtown at a display educating the public about ALS. The display included several books about ALS and Lou Gehrig's Disease available for checkout at BPL.

A senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham studying accounting and finance, Emma lost her grandfather, Stewart Simpson, to ALS on April 22. Emma is on the Fast-Track Master of Accounting Program at UAB and a member of the UAB Collat Business Honors Program. 

A former Miss Alabama's Teen (2021), Emma served as Miss UAB 2023 before winning the current title of Miss Jefferson County. She will compete in the Miss Alabama Pageant during the week of June 23rd-29th. The winner of that pageant will represent Alabama in the Miss America Pageant this fall.

In a Q&A with BPL Public Relations Director Roy Williams, Emma talked about what ALS is and shared background on her grandfather’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She also talked about this Saturday's Driving Out ALS with The Outlet Shops of Grand River, a fundraiser for the ALS Association.  

BPL: For those unfamiliar, what is ALS. And explain why it is also called Lou Gehrig's Disease?

 Emma: ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. That basically means that someone's body will be paralyzed. Normally, that happens over a period of 2-5 years. However, there are cases, like my grandfather's, that can last for decades. My Grandy had ALS for 22 years. It is a terrible disease, but I am still inspired by how he fought and persevered.

BPL: What led you to come with this campaign to raise awareness on ALS 

Emma: My grandfather began experiencing symptoms of ALS right before I was born. I grew up helping take care of him. My role developed into a caregiver as I got older and as his condition worsened. Being a young caregiver and seeing the effects of this disease first hand inspired me to create Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time. 

I work to increase awareness of ALS and increase funding so that we can get one step closer to finding a cure for this disease. Since his passing in April, I have gained even more passion to continue his legacy and memory.

BPL Share details on Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time and what you do. (click on the  website here https://stompingoutalsonestepatatime.com )

 Emma: The entire idea behind Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time is that the smallest steps can make the biggest differences. You can educate yourself, participate in a community event, or make a small donation. All of those are examples of "small" steps for ALS. If everyone took these small steps, then we can come together to create huge, collective change. 

As the founder of my nonprofit organization, Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time, I work to increase awareness of ALS through advocacy and action efforts. I want everyone to know that no "Step" is too small to have an impact on the ALS Community. 

 BPL: I understand you are organizing an ALS fundraising event this weekend tied to your late grandfather's fascination with old cars. Share details. 

 Emma: Before ALS, my Grandy loved restoring cars and showing off his 1963 Chevy Impala Super Sport at car shows and cruise-ins all over the state. That is why I chose the Drive Out ALS Cruise In as a signature fundraising event. This was something he loved, and ALS took his ability to continue to pursue his passion of cars. 

On May 11 from 11am-2pm, we are Driving Out ALS with The Outlet Shops of Grand River! The entry fee is $10 and all proceeds benefit the ALS Association. It is a special day benefitting an incredible cause! 

BPL: Anything else you would like to add about ALS? 

Emma: ALS is 100% fatal 100% of the time. It is a devastating disease that ravages a person's body. After seeing that process take place with my grandfather, I am incredibly passionate about increasing awareness of ALS and encouraging everyone to take small steps to "Stomp Out ALS"! 

 BPL: Share some links to organizations or websites that are good info on ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Emma: My organization, Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time, can be reached at https://stompingoutalsonestepatatime.com 

 Here are additional links: 

Racing for ALS  https://www.racingforals.com

ALS Therapy Development Institute https://www.als.net 

Miss Jefferson County 2024 Emma Terry at BPL's Central Library