Club Forest resident Charlie McDaniel met his good friend John Campbell in 1997 when he joined the law firm where John worked. They became partners, but eventually their careers took different turns. Still through the years, they remained friends.

 

When John was diagnosed with ALS (a degenerative neurologic disorder formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in October 2022, he and his family decided to fight the illness with courage and love. They adopted the slogan Always Love Strong. They also wanted to help other families who were impacted by ALS but who were not in as strong a financial position. The Campbells partnered with FACT Relief, an organization that provides financial assistance to families faced with a catastrophic illness, and started raising money for those less fortunate.

 

When Charlie started to see more significant changes in John’s health earlier this year, he knew he wanted to honor his friend and do more to help the Campbell family’s efforts.  “I wrote [to him in a text], ‘you were there for me in tough times, I want to do something for you,’” says Charlie.

 

He came up with the 100 Day/Journey of Purpose challenge to raise funds for FACT Relief in John’s honor. For 100 days, Charlie would train for an aqua-bike race, a 1.2-mile swim and 48.4-mile bike ride. At the same time, Charlie hoped to raise $100,000 for families facing financial challenges due to an ALS diagnosis.

 

“My thought being that I can choose to rise each morning and train for every family who has no choice but to rise and face the unrelenting challenges of ALS,” says Charlie. He had never done a race like this before, but he and wife Becky enjoyed hiking and biking trips abroad.

 

The challenge launched on June 25 and was to culminate in Charlie doing the Long Course AquaBike Race in Las Vegas at Lake Mead on October 4. Charlie trained strong through the end of September but the U.S. government shutdown led to organizers canceling the race as Lake Mead is a national recreation area. Staff were furloughed and services cut.

 

As of mid-September, Charlie had raised about $30,000. His fundraising page remains open for donations. While the race was canceled, the fundraising effort continues.

 

Charlie and his sister, who was supposed to do another race the same time in Vegas, decided they would still travel west in early October. “Not the conclusion to this journey that we initially envisioned, but it was about bringing awareness to FACT Relief, raising money for its mission, and honoring my good friend and his family and spreading their message of hope to Always Love Strong,” Charlie says.

 

FACT Relief primarily helps families with day-to-day expenses that are not covered by insurance, says Kelly Foster, executive director. “ALS is one of the most financially draining diseases,” she notes. Many patients require 24-hour care.

 

The organization gives grants ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 with the average grant being $3,000. A recent large grant went to the family of a 34-year-old ALS patient. They needed a wheel-chair assisted minivan and bathroom modifications. About 90% of FACT Reliefs grants go to families impacted by ALS.

 

Donors can give in honor or memory of beneficiaries on the FACT Relief website.

 

FACT Relief’s largest fundraiser is the Quiet Hero Party, an annual gala that has grown to about 1,000 attendees and is held at the Buckhead Theater. “At some point, all ALS patients lose their ability to speak,” says Kelly. “That’s why it’s called the quiet hero. John was our quiet hero for 2025.”

 

The nonprofit hosts other fundraisers throughout the year, although these are often the idea of a family member or friend of an ALS patient, like Charlie with John. They change annually. Past events have included a barbecue, golf tournament, and pickleball tournament.

 

John got to see his friend Charlie launch the 100 Day/Journey of Purpose but died suddenly and unexpectedly in July of a heart attack. “His spirit continues to inspire,” Charlie says.

 

SIDE BAR TO NON-PROFIT PIECE

HEAD = FACT Relief

Non-profit: FACT Relief

 

Mission: To assist families dealing with catastrophic illness or injury in dealing with the financial burdens of day-to-day living expenses.

 

Contact: (404) 566-4980; email Kelly Foster, executive director, at kfoster@factrelief.org.

 

How You Can Help: Volunteer at the Quiet Hero gala; donate to Charlie McDaniel’s Journey of Purpose at https://factrelief.salsalabs.org/charliemcdaniel/index.html or visit https://factrelief.org/donate/ to give to any of the current beneficiary campaigns.

 

Involved Neighbors: Charlie McDaniel.