RICHFORD, N.Y. – (WIVT/WBGH) Shady Strong is continuing to raise awareness for ALS and those affected by it with their interactive fundraising festival.

Shady Strong is hosting a Barbeque Competition and Music Festival on August 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Rawley Park. Teams from around New York and Pennsylvania will compete for the title of best backyard BBQ while families and individuals enjoy a full day of live music, corn hole, raffles, food vendors, and more.

Admission to the festival is $20 per person and free for Children under 12. A portion of the festival’s proceeds will be donated to Hope Loves Company.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit shadystrong.com.

Hope Loves Company is the only nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to providing emotional and educational support to children and young adults who have or had a loved one battling ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, ALS causes loss of muscle control, eventually leading to the inability to move, speak, eat, and breathe. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankees baseball legend was diagnosed, is incurable at this time.

Shady Strong in a nonprofit organization that has raised thousands of dollars to raise awareness for ALS, fund research, and support those with the disease as well as their families. Shady Strong began in 2019 and was inspired by Robert J. Shady, who was diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS on May 23, 2018, and passed away 18 months later on October 23, 2019, at the age of 75. Shady served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era with the 57th MP Company stationed at West Point. Veterans are more likely to develop ALS than those who were not in military service.