Golfing for ALS

RONAN - For the eighth year in a row, people gathered Saturday at the Mission Mountain Golf Course in Ronan to honor fallen community members who suffered from ALS.

The Ken Sagmiller/Pat Williams ALS Memorial Golf Scramble saw 22 teams and 88 people compete on the course.

"They really like it, that's good for a small community," Mission Mountain golf pro Ty Weingart said. "Everybody knew them and their families."

Both Ken Sagmiller and Pat Williams passed away from ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is famous for afflicting former New York Yankee Lou Gehrig.

It causes the degeneration of the motor neurons in the body, responsible for voluntary muscle movement. It's a progressive disease that causes the death of half those diagnosed within three years and ninety percent within six years.

The reason for this is because ALS weakens the chest wall muscles, and causes respiratory failure or pneumonia. Roughly 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with it every year.

Proceeds of the event help families in the area affected by ALS and a scholarship fund for local students.

Pat Williams actually competed in the golf scramble two years ago before succumbing to the disease. His name was added to the tournament and proceeds were given to his family after his passing.

Many family and friends of both men were attending the event, including Sagmiller's sister-in-law Joanna Sagmiller.

"We're at a family tournament, we're out supporting it," Sagmiller said and then graded her group's performance in the scramble. "Everybody is doing good out on the course except for me."

Weingart said that community member Tom Kohn was instrumental in organizing the tournament, getting sponsors and getting people to sign up for the event.

2010 Ken Sagmiller and Pat Williams ALS Scramble

July 10

1st Gross - 57

Valley Banks

Jamie Buhr

Matt Olson

Doc Rowe

Mike Ellis

2nd Gross - 59

G and L Propane

William Croft

Charlie Culpepper

Richard Jackson

Greg Webster

3rd Gross - 61

Token American

Dave Laidlaw

Greg Bennett

Lance Robinson

Robbie Watters