Skip to main content
Partly Cloudy icon
80º

ALS Walk among area events forced to cancel, postpone Saturday because of nor’easter

Flooding, wind, rain force organizers to call off half-mile fundraising walk expected to draw hundreds to St. Augustine

The path for the ALS Walk was underwater on Saturday, forcing the walk to be postponed. (WJXT)

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Saturday’s wet and windy weather conditions forced many events around the region to cancel or postpone, including the ALS Walk in St. Augustine.

“With the rain, the wind, the flooding, we made the right decision,” volunteer Mark Bailey said. “It was tough on the committee, on the volunteers, on the participants.”

The walk hits close to home for Alecia Bailey, who organized the event.

“I lost my husband 12 years ago to ALS, which is a frontal lobe, neurological disease and basically the cells are weighted down and the neurons won’t work, so your limbs don’t work, you become paralyzed so it’s a horrific disease,” said Alecia Bailey.

Bailey and her current husband, Mark Bailey, said they expected more than 300 people to participate in the half-mile walk. The path, which would have started at Ripley’s Believe It or Not, was washed out and underwater Saturday.

This is the second year in a row the ALS Walk was changed. Last year it was virtual due to COVID-19. The Baileys said despite the cancellation this year, their mission to fight ALS continues.

“We will never stop fighting. We will always continue, no matter what,” said Alecia Bailey.

Event organizers said they anticipate raising $160,000 this year toward fighting ALS. That would make it the second most successful ALS walk in the state. They said it’s unclear if they will reschedule the walk, but they will keep the community updated.

Other cancellations/postponements:


About the Author
Corley Peel headshot

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

Loading...

Recommended Videos