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Exhibit at library brings awareness about ALS

By Rachel Davis

A piece of glass salvaged from the old flooring at the Boston Public Library has been repurposed as a tribute to those suffering with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. It is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after baseball player Lou Gehrig whose diagnosis with ALS caused him to abruptly retire from baseball in 1939—an event that brought national and international attention to the disease. Most commonly ALS strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70; as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. Several residents of Cape Elizabeth are currently suffering from the disease. Darcy Wakefield, a Cape resident, and author of the book, “I Remember Running,” died of the disease in 2005.

David Alan Smith is responsible for fashioning the ALS exhibit from the Boston Public Library glass. His grandfather recovered the glass in the mid-1950s when he was contracted to work on the Boston Public Library’s renovation. The exhibit will travel to libraries throughout Maine this year to help raise awareness of the disease. The library’s resources on ALS will be highlighted this month beside the exhibit. Those who have been touched by this disease, or those interested in learning more, are encouraged to view the exhibit and borrow the resources. A dedication of the exhibit will take place on Wednesday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend. For more information, please call the library at 799-1720.