ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Bruce Bennett, Dan Fiore, Matt Conway, Mark Conway, and Mike Conway install the One Pitch Tournament sign for the benifit of the Hanson Family in Nahant on June 25.
BY DILLON DURST
NAHANT — Gary “Earl” Hanson is defying the odds.
The life expectancy for a person diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is two to five years. But Hanson has been living with the ailment for more than two decades.
On Saturday, June 25, the Nahant native’s family and friends will host the “Friends of Earl One-Pitch Softball Tournament” in his honor for the 20th consecutive year at the ball field on Nahant Road.
Hanson, 55, was diagnosed with ALS in 1994. The incurable illness robbed him of his ability to walk, speak and breath on his own. He’s cared for by his wife, Cindi, and his daughter, Mariah.
Hanson’s longtime friend and Nahant native Dan Fiore wrote in an e-mail, “For the past 19 years, friends, family and the community have rallied around this incredible family, sending out a message of hope for others stricken with ALS.”
Supporters raised more than $50,000 at a November fundraiser to help the family purchase a new handicap-accessible van. The 2016 Chrysler Town & Country replaced the Hansons’ 15-year-old model that was “falling apart,” according to Fiore.
“Nahant’s a pretty special community,” he said.
The event will begin at 10 a.m., and includes food, music and raffles. There will also be an Old-Timers’ game for the competition’s past participants.
Fiore said he doesn’t expect the weather to be an issue.
“In the 19 years we’ve been doing this it’s never rained,” he said.
Dillon Durst can be reached at [email protected].
