On June 1st, 1999 Doug Hawley was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." A group of Doug's friends got together to support Doug and help the family with the financial burdens created by the disease.

In the fall of 2000, Doug's friends had formed "Hawley's Heroes." Their mission was to create greater awareness of ALS, to help their friend financially and to help find a cure. The group organized a "Friends for Life Celebrity Dinner and Silent Auction." The dinner was a great success and the group decided they didn't want to stop there. They wanted to continue to help others who had this disease and to support efforts to find a cure.

Doug passed away on September 11th, 2001, but because of the group's commitment in assisting others with ALS, they continued and expanded their efforts. In 2003, "Hawley's Heroes" became the Iowa Chapter of The ALS Association national organization. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. It covers all the bases - research, care services, public education, and advocacy - in providing help and hope to those facing the disease.

Our vision is to create a world without ALS. Our Chapter serves this vision by raising funds to provide local care services and support national ALS research and advocacy efforts...until we find a cure!