Lafarge Lake is adding a touch of purple once again — this time, to kick off a month-long awareness campaign for a rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease.
Its fountain in the heart of Coquitlam's Town Centre Park will be highlighted with the colour to mark the beginning of ALS Awareness Month in the province.
It's also one of 10 landmarks participating in this year's BC Lights Up to Support ALS initiative from May 31 to June 7.
Roughly 400 people in the province are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among 3,000 in Canada.
According to the ALS Society of B.C., the disease attacks transmitting motor neurons from the brain to the voluntary muscles in the body.
"When they fail to receive messages, the muscles lose strength, atrophy and die," the organization explains in a statement today (May 18).
"ALS can strike anyone at any time, regardless of age, gender, or ethnic origin. It does not affect the senses, and only rarely does it affect the mind."
As well, the society has scheduled a Move to Cure ALS event for the Tri-Cities/Ridge Meadows area on June 12.
The idea is for interested residents to either walk, run, cycle, skateboard, scooter or otherwise as a means to support ALS patients in B.C. and the Yukon, and support research through Project Hope.
Its goal for the region is to raise $40,000 by the end of next month, in which 60 per cent of donations will be earmarked for supporting patient services programs and the remaining 40 per cent for research.
The local walk is set to take place at Waterfront Commons Park in Pitt Meadows starting at 10 a.m., and interested residents are asked to register ahead of the fundraiser.
Other iconic B.C. locations that'll be tickled purple over the first week of June includes BC Place, Canada Place's Sail of Lights, Science World and Mr. PG.
For more information, you can visit the Move to Cure ALS website.
Lafarge Lake's fountain was also lit up purple in late March in recognizing International Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness.
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