by Gavin Heaney
Last year, Mickey Mance Jr. enlisted friends to put together a fundraiser for Mance’s lifelong friend Eric Stevens, who was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) six years ago.
”Eric’s been a best friend since kindergarten. He was diagnosed with ALS, a week after his wedding. He had just gotten back from his honeymoon and was 29 years old,” Mance said.
Like baseball great Lou Gehrig and local pro surfer Greg Browning, who both died from ALS, Stevens was an accomplished athlete. He received All Bay League honors in football and wrestling at Peninsula High. In 2013, after starring at Cal as a fullback, he was signed by the St. Louis Rams. Stevens subsequently joined the Los Angeles Fire Department. But his biggest concern after receiving his diagnosis was not for his impending physical disabilities, but for his new family.
“The first thing he said to me after his diagnosis was he felt so bad for his wife, Amanda,” Mance said. “He didn’t want her to have to suffer with him and to become a financial burden.”
Mance decided on a corn hole tournament as a fundraiser, with hopes of a few hundred attendees. But word of the event quickly spread through customers at Mickey’s Deli, which was founded in 1953 by Mance’s grandfather, Mickey Mance Sr.
Last year’s axeALS Beach Fest & Cornhole Tournament drew over 4,000 supporters to Seaside Lagoon, and raised nearly $500,000. The first place trophy was a firefighter’s axe .
Proceeds went to the axeALS Foundation, founded by Amanda Stevens to support ALS patients and their families.
“One of the things that’s the most difficult when you get diagnosed with ALS is there’s not much support out there for you,” Mance said. “They give you on average two to five years to live and there’s not really anything they can do. Because ALS is relatively rare, there’s not enough funding to provide services or research.”
”Fundraising is essential for finding treatment, and for getting a vehicle that’s ADA accessible and putting wheelchair ramps in at homes. That’s a big part of what we’re raising money for as well as giving funds to families affected by ALS to help them get back on track.”
The Second Annual axeALS Beach Fest & Cornhole Tournament is Saturday, October 18 at Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach. It will feature live music, food, and a cornhole tournament. Tickets and tournament entries are available at axeals.org. ER
