Annual Big T Open fights for cure
Aug. 8—BATESVILLE/GREENSBURG — The second annual Big T Open on behalf of ALS Association of Indiana is taking place with a 10 a.m. check-in and 11 a.m. shotgun start October 8 at North Branch Golf Course.
All proceeds go to the fight to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).
ALS is a disease that causes a gradual paralysis due to decline in the brain's ability to communicate with the body's muscles. The muscles will deteriorate over time until the disease takes the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and eventually breathe.
This annual golf outing is hosted in honor of Todd Marlin Siebert who passed away at the young age of 51. He had been diagnosed with ALS at 47 years old.
Todd's mother, Carol Siebert, said Todd was known to his friends and family as Big T. He was tall and strong in both stature and personality, according to Carol.
Todd began farming at the age of 10 after his uncle Dennis Kops was killed in a farming accident. He began farming with his grandfather, John Kops, where he eventually created Siebert Farms. He worked on the farm until he was no longer able to do so.
Siebert said that working to fight the disease provides her sanity. She used to fundraise for her church and now she fundraises for the Indiana chapter of the ALS Association.
The group seeks to make ALS a disease of the past by figuring out its cause and learning how to prevent it.
By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure, according to their website.
"Carol has been a real champion and a huge fundraiser for us," said Brian Rothenberger, Primary Fundraiser for the Indiana chapter of the ALS Association. "She's not afraid of making people aware and she is so invested in her community."
ALS has no cure and few treatment options. According to the ALS Society of Canada, approximately 80% of people diagnosed with ALS die 2 to 5 years after the diagnosis. Motor neurons are specialized nerve cells in the body.
They are meant to work in pairs, with one motor neuron extending from the brain stem to the spinal cord and its partner extending from the spinal cord to the muscle. Signals sent from the brain should move through both parts of the pair as a person moves their muscles at will.
The breakdown of the motor neurons in ALS patients causes their muscles to atrophy until the person is unable to move them.
This year's golf outing will also feature a Big T Open Bourbon Raffle which includes three bottles of Blanton's, a 12-year Van Winkle Special Reserve and Eagle Rare, among others.
The Gaming License number is 12118 and tickets can be purchased at bigtopen.com for $50.
Contact Josie Clark at josie.clark@greensburgdailynews.com or 812-651-0873.
