Walk With Kari to End ALS
The “Walk with Kari to end ALS” was created by the many friends and family of Kari
Evans in her memory. Kari was a one of a kind lady who was admired by everyone
around her. She was a wife to her husband Dale and mother to her two kids Shanelle
and Bryson, as well as a beloved friend by many.
In short, Kari was sunshine. She was never seen without a smile or a skip in her step.
She was known for her loud contagious laugh and her happy personality. She enjoyed
life and all the little things. A couple of her favourite things included going for a run and
having coffee on her deck in the sunshine.
Kari was diagnosed on August 12, 2019. Kari was a runner. She loved to run as it was
one of her favourite pastimes. She had noticed weakness in her leg that kept getting
worse. The diagnosis hit hard as she had just recently lost her mom to the same battle
just a couple months previous. She had just watched it all take place and then with her
own diagnosis, watched her world come crumbling down. This was the point in time
when we discovered that we are dealing with Familial ALS. This type runs in family
genes. First it was Kari’s Grandmother, then her mom and now her. As hard as it was for
her and for everyone around her discovering that diagnosis, she had hope. Shortly after
her diagnosis she was enrolled in a clinical trial that took place in Montreal. Kari
constantly looked for the positive side of every situation and kept her spirits as high as
possible. She was the person that helped the people around her look for the brighter
side to every situation and knew that everything happens for a reason. She loved all the
doctors, nurses and researchers that she came across, and they loved Kari. Travelling
to Montreal every couple weeks wasn't easy. It especially became hard when Covid hit
and travelling was limited. Soon enough Edmonton opened a clinic where she could get
her treatments. Eventually those trips got harder and Kari’s mobility became the limiting
factor for her to be able to travel to get the treatments. Kari passed away on November
14, 2020 with family and friends by her side.
Kari’s community is determined to not let her legacy die so this summer, with the help of
the ALS Society of ALberta, they have created the “Walk with Kari to End ALS”
fundraiser where we can raise money and awareness to help get one step closer to
finding a cure. It is also a way to carry on a tradition to help her keep fighting from
heaven and have a day we all come together to remember our amazing friend.