“I redefine normal everyday. You can either mourn what you can’t do or celebrate what you can.” -Augie Nieto Last night was the 6th annual “Augie’s Quest” Gala. This year it was back in San Francisco but it rotates between San Diego, Las Vegas and the Bay Area depending on the location of the IHRSA conference. The fundraising event, to generate funds for researching Lou Gehrigs disease, began in 2006. Our friends, Augie and Lynne Nieto, started the charity after Augie was diagnosed with ALS.
Augie was a remarkable guy even before the diagnosis; ambitious and very successful in the fitness industry. After discovering his ALS, Augie turned his passion to finding a cure. To that end, Augie’s Quest has raised over 25 million dollars.
The average survival rate for ALS is just five years and over a year ago Augie crossed over to the other side of the survival curve. But with damage to motor neurons, Augie was first confined to a wheelchair, then lost ability to use his arms, and now even his ability to talk. We’ve attended “Augie’s Quest” every year and have seen the tragic decline.
The atmosphere surrounding auctions is generally upbeat and last night’s event was fun; including a musical performance of the band Sugar Ray. But it’s always bittersweet to see Augie; thrilling that he’s still alive, heartbreaking to see the ALS progression.
Augie’s an inspiring guy and it’s always a reality check to remember the healthy Augie. One year (circa 2003?) Brent and Webb went to Augie’s home in Corona Del Mar and imagine Webb’s surprise when Augie handed Webb the keys to his ludicrously expensive Ferrari and told him to take it out for a spin. Yikes! That was probably one of Webb’s first introductions to driving a stick shift car. In a Ferrari, no less!
“If Augie’s efforts, and the efforts of those working with him, can save any one of these families from this heartache, then it will be worth it. It hasn’t come without a cost. But this quest has kept Augie alive longer than we expected. He has used his talents in business to deal with something much bigger.” -Lynne Nieto
