Jeffrey F. Birkel Foundation

Donate to fund ALS research and help Jeff get to Boston!
$51,233 raised of $40,000 goal

Our story

Life really does turn on a dime… on December 4th, 2023 we received a diagnosis that we suspected and feared - Jeff had been diagnosed with 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

Our mission

We started the Jeffrey F. Birkel Foundation to fundraise for the ALS Association, ALS United, and ALS research. Before his diagnosis, Jeff was an avid distance runner (he's run 10 marathons and one Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim). 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. Now Jeff wants to turn his diagnosis into an opportunity to raise funds for ALS, which, like MPD, is rare and under-funded.

Jeff encouraged his two boys, Matt and Mike, to take up running at a young age - and they did! They both ran Boston in 2023, and on Father’s Day of 2024 they decided to run it again with Jeff, with one of them pushing him in a racing pushchair and the other running alongside. However, getting accepted into Boston is no easy task.

Why donate?

In order to get a pushchair (“Duo Team”) entry, the Birkel family needed to go through the Boston Marathon’s charity program and fundraise a certain amount. We’re proud to announce that in December 2024, The ALS Association and the Boston Athletic Association granted entry bibs to all three for the 129th running of the Boston Marathon on April 21st, 2025! We’re also happy to report that in November, the Foundation had achieved its original goal of $20,000 to the ALS Association meeting their fundraising commitment! Many thanks to our generous donors! There’s no reason to stop there, though. We want to continue fundraising as much as we can, all the way up until the marathon finish line!
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)
Time to turn it up to 11!

Updates

Social Media

Media

  • 3/16/25 full story on CBS

    How a Minnesota son is helping his father run the Boston Marathon

  • 3/11/25

    ALS United: Team ALS 2025 Kickoff - Birkel Family Story

  • 1/31/25 full story on KTTC

    Father diagnosed with ALS and son prepare for Boston Marathon

  • 9/17/24

    Pushing Forward: Jeff Birkel’s Fight and Marathon Mission

  • 8/23/24 full story on KNOP

    Man with ALS looks to qualify for Boston Marathon with two sons

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.