Jeffrey F. Birkel Foundation

Donate to fund ALS research and help Jeff get to Boston!
$51,233 raised and counting!

Our story

Life really does turn on a dime… on December 4th, 2023 we received a diagnosis that we suspected and feared – Jeff has ALS. For those unfamiliar, ALS is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease. It can rob you of your mobility, your ability to speak and eat, and eventually your ability to breathe. There is no cure. Only 20% of people diagnosed with ALS are still alive 3 years after symptom onset. Jeff's symptoms began almost 3.5 years ago – he's already beating the odds! Although we are devastated, we draw strength from our family and friends, and of course, our faith. Jeff is such a strong witness to the goodness of God. He immediately started making plans for how he could use his circumstance for the better, to help others, and to be an example of a life well-lived.
the Birkel family gathered around Jeff in Cancun

Before his diagnosis, Jeff was an avid distance runner (he's run 10 marathons and one Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim). Jeff’s sons, Matt & Mike, followed in Jeff’s footsteps as they picked up running at a young age.

Matt & Mike had recently run the 2023 Boston Marathon, and after receiving Jeff’s diagnosis, they wanted to do something special for their dad – on Father’s Day of 2024 they told Jeff they wanted to run Boston again, but this time with Jeff riding along in a racing pushchair. However, getting accepted into Boston is no easy task.

the Birkel family gathered around Jeff after qualifying for the Boston Marathon

Our mission

We started the Jeffrey F. Birkel Foundation to fundraise for the ALS Association, ALS United, and ALS research. Back in 2005, Jeff ran the Boston Marathon and helped raise funds for MPD research, a rare disease with which a dear friend and coworker had been diagnosed. Similar to MPD, ALS is also rare and underfunded. Remembering his past Boston experience and inspired by the gift of his sons pushing him in a racing wheelchair, Jeff wanted to turn this into an opportunity to raise awareness funds for ALS treatments and eventual cures.
Jeff smiling while crossing the finish line at the 2004 Chicago MarathonJeff smiling with his arms behind his back in a bright yellow running tank with the Cat logo on the front.Jeff crossing the finish line at the 2005 Boston Marathon. He is smiling but he was exhausted!

10 marathons

(and 1 Rim-to-Rim)
And we turned it up to 11!

2025 Boston Marathon

We’re proud to say that the Birkels successfully qualified for and ran the 2025 Boston Marathon! What a journey! See the timeline in the Updates section, below. In short, Jeff, Matt, & Mike were able to run a charity-qualifying time at the 2024 Nebraska State Fair Marathon, but that didn’t guarantee them an entry—they still needed to interview for a charity bib, get accepted, and meet fundraising requirements. And after all that, there’s still a limited number of pushchair (“Duo Team”) spots available at the Boston Marathon, and if too many apply, the BAA allocates them at random.

All the pieces fell into place as we passed the ALS Association’s interview, got selected by the BAA, and were able to exceed our original fundraising goal of $20,000, thanks to all of you! Check out our YouTube Shorts for videos from the big day. To quote Jeff,

I feel beyond blest, thankful, and grateful. The whole thing turned out better than I ever imagined. I thank all the people that helped make this happen. All of our donors including Bank of America, the folks at the Nebraska State Fair Boston-qualifying Marathon, the ALS Association and the Boston Athletic Association for the Duo entry, Adaptive Star for rush manufacturing our pushchair, our attorney Brennon Malcom in Cozad Nebraska for creating our 501(c)(3) pro bono, my stepson for creating and maintaining our website, and of course my boys, their wives, and my wife. This truly was a family effort that required significant sacrifice and commitment, but one given freely from the heart. We thank God for keeping our family all safe, healthy, and strong throughout this journey, and for connecting us with all these wonderful people that helped make this happen. I am and always will be grateful. I am so blessed. These are memories I will cherish forever. Thank you all!

While the 2025 Boston Marathon is behind us, we’re not stopping there. We plan to continue running and raising awareness and funds for ALS! All donations go forward to ALS care, treatments, and research.

Updates

You can also follow via

Social Media

Media

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease in the United States, is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons that normally control voluntary muscle contraction. ALS often presents in its early stages with gradual muscle stiffness, twitches, weakness, and wasting. Motor neuron loss typically continues until the abilities to eat, speak, move, and, lastly, breathe are all lost. While only 15% of people with ALS also fully develop frontotemporal dementia, an estimated 50% face at least some minor difficulties with thinking and behavior.

There is no known cure for ALS. The goal of treatment is to slow the disease progression, and improve symptoms. The disease can affect people of any age, but usually starts around the age of 60. The average survival from onset to death is two to four years, though this can vary, and about 10% of those affected survive longer than ten years.