BluSky Philanthropic Event Raises $140K for ALS Research in St. Louis

BluSky Restoration Contractors, LLC, a national property restoration company in the United States, recently announced it had raised $140,000 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research via its sixth annual Rakers Classic charity golf tournament, which took place in September.

In 2017, Lyle Rakers, a BluSky employee, was diagnosed with a rare form of ALS known as Brachial Amyotrophic Diplegia (BAD). This led to the establishment of the Lyle Rakers Charitable Foundation in 2018. The Rakers Classic is the Foundation’s signature fundraising event, and BluSky is a major annual supporter. Since 2018, the tournament has raised a total of $638,000 for ALS research at Washington University School of Medicine’s Miller Lab in St. Louis, Missouri.

“We at BluSky support each other in the good times and the not-so-good times. We are truly grateful for the overwhelming amount of generosity and kindness from all who have participated, sponsored, donated, and volunteered at our events. Our goal is to grow our foundation to really raise significant funds to make a bigger impact in the world of ALS research,” said Jim Rable, BluSky senior vice president of corporate development and a longtime friend of Lyle Rakers.

Through its research, the Miller Lab seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS and to develop new, innovative therapies for the disease. “The generous support from the Lyle Rakers Foundation allows us to push research on the cutting edge and bring new RNA-targeted therapies to clinical trial. We are so honored to be associated with the Lyle Rakers Foundation and the terrific group of people that have put together another very successful golf tournament,” said Dr. Timothy Miller, Miller Lab director.