Taking on the Ocean to Find a Cure for ALS | My Member Story
Learn more about rowing across the ocean to raise money for a friend with ALS. This member story is exceptional!
For Tim Ryan and Alan Alderman, friendship runs deep. They’ve known each other since 1999 when their respective companies started doing business together. Soon after, in 2001, Alan was diagnosed with ALS—commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—and they’ve been good friends ever since.
Tim now serves as chief financial officer of the ‘Bout Time Pub and Grub restaurant concept which has 15 locations throughout Utah and Colorado.
When we first met Tim and Alan, it was clear they genuinely loved being in each other’s company. They both have a quick wit that won’t quit and amazing stories to share. Something else that’s crystal clear? They don’t do anything halfway!
In 2017, Tim attended the Banff Film Festival that was showing at the University of Utah. He saw a movie about four English women who competed in an ocean rowing event—yes, we said ocean rowing! He immediately wanted to do it and turn it into a fundraising event for ALS. And he did just that—creating the Row4ALS Foundation Row4ALS Foundation.
Now, this isn’t the type of event you just wake up one morning and decide to do. But Tim did! He put together a team and began training for a transatlantic ocean rowing event that began in December 2018, traveling from the Canary Islands off North Africa to Antigua in the southern Caribbean.
The first person Tim talked to about this idea, after his wife, was Alan—and Alan said he would only be a part of it if he could row as a member of the team. So, that’s what they did!
They built a technologically advanced rowboat with special additions to accommodate Alan. After all, the five-man team—Alan, Tim, Brian Armstrong, Dale Smith and Ted Waldo—would be on the water for over 50 days, and cover over 3,500 miles, with only what they could fit in their vessel. It included two water desalinization units, six solar panels, plenty of battery storage, navigation, freeze-dried food as well as reserve food and water for emergencies—plus a lifeboat.
The team raised about $220,000 during the journey which, of course, supported ALS research at the Clinical Neurosciences Center at the University of Utah.
Fast-forward a few years, Tim and the crew are planning another ocean row—this time, it will be across the Pacific Ocean. In the summer of 2023, they are planning to row from Monterrey, California to Kauai, Hawaii.
And they’ve upped their fundraising goal too. They are looking to raise closer to $500,000 during this voyage!
Sadly, Alan won’t be accompanying them on the water this time. But he will be there when they set out and he will be there when they arrive in Hawaii. Alan is a huge part of the team as Chief Inspiration Officer.
Luckily, Alan’s disease progression is slow. “I should have been dead a long time ago,” he says. “One of the reasons I’m still here is because of Tim, my family and doctors who support me. They give me hope that someday they’ll find a cure.”
Clearly, this is a huge undertaking. Not only does Tim expect the most from his team (on and off the boat), but he also expects the same from the partners he chooses to work with in his life. That’s why, since 2010, he chose Mountain America Credit Union as his business and personal financial partner.
He’s currently using the Visa® Rewards credit card which provides rewards points on all the items he needs to bring this next adventure to fruition. Those rewards points turn into donations. “Every dime we save is another dime dedicated to finding a cure for ALS,” says Tim.
He loves the flexibility Mountain America offers like a Visa credit card that works in more places around the world (especially some of the small countries he finds himself visiting) or a MyExpress℠ account for his employees. Plus, since the highest concentration of ‘Bout Time locations is in northern Utah, he also loves the convenience and personalized service of nearby Mountain America branches and online banking too.
We are so proud of Tim and the rest of the team for what they are doing out of pure love for their friend, Alan. It’s an amazing sight to see—simply a selfless act to make someone else’s life better and longer.
Thanks, Tim!
