Vernon's Donna Bartel and Mike Pearson, who ran 18 triathlons ion support of ALS treatment, supports (submitted photo)

By Liam Verster

Tri-ing to End ALS

Vernon couple raced across Canada to support ALS supports, research

Sep 22, 2025 | 11:52 AM

Two Vernonites have completed a cross-Canada trip to raise awareness and money for a fatal motor neuron disease.

Donna Bartel and Mike Pearson undertook a four-month, cross-Canada journey in which they competed in 18 triathlons across 10 provinces and three territories as part of their Tri’ing to End ALS fundraising campaign.

The pair were running these races to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis (ALS), a disease with no known cure that affects voluntary control of arms and legs and leads to trouble breathing.

“We knew we’d meet people with connections to ALS, but we didn’t expect the number – up to four or five a day at times,” Donna Bartel said in a release.

“These stories have been what’s kept us going on those hard days.”

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Over the course of their travels, the pair was able to spark conversations about ALS, and successfully raised $40,000 for ALS Societies across Canada.

“The support Donna and Mike have received on their journey is a powerful testament to the compassion of people from all walks of life,” Donald Miyazaki, executive director at ALS B.C., said in the release.

“From coast to coast, their commitment has been embraced by countless individuals who shared their personal stories, offered words of encouragement, and generously donated. This grassroots support has been instrumental in raising both critical funds and, perhaps more importantly, vital awareness for our cause.”

Half the proceeds raised during the trip were distributed to the ALS Societies in the provinces where the donations originated from, and the remaining went towards the ALS B.C. Project of Hope, an initiative lead by the University of British Columbia that aims at providing compassionate care to people living with ALS and researching potential treatments.