Five students impacted by ALS receive the 2025 ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary
Honouring Kevin Daly’s legacy of supporting young people affected by ALS as they pursue their dreams and contribute to a world free of ALS
TORONTO, Sept. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) and the Kevin Daly Bursary Fund are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary. This year, five post-secondary students with a personal connection to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have each been awarded $2,500 bursaries to support their studies for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Now in its third year, the bursary reflects Kevin Daly’s compassion for young people navigating the challenges of ALS within their families and offers tangible support to help them pursue their educational goals. Established in 2023 to honour Kevin, a devoted father and husband who was diagnosed with ALS in 2020 and passed away in November 2024, the bursary continues through the efforts of his wife Elena, daughters Erica and Allison, and a dedicated circle of family and friends.
“ALS Canada is honoured to work alongside Kevin’s family, friends, and supporters to carry on his legacy by supporting these five remarkable students in pursuing their dreams while making an impact in the ALS community,” said Chris Pon, Vice-President of Fund Development at ALS Canada. “This bursary not only eases the financial burden of post-secondary education, but it also supports students who aspire to build careers that will advance ALS care, research, advocacy, and support people affected by the disease, contributing toward a world free of ALS.”
This year’s recipients have demonstrated outstanding dedication to advancing the ALS community through volunteerism, fundraising, awareness-building, and a strong commitment to their educational and career goals in fields related to healthcare, science, finance, and community support.
"Being a significant part of a loved one’s ALS journey takes courage, resilience, compassion and a lot of love," said Elena Daly. "Being able to recognize young adults who have had to draw deep into these attributes helps to acknowledge the invaluable care and support they provide, and the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary is a meaningful way to honour that."
ALS affects nearly 4,000 Canadians and is a relentless disease that progressively paralyzes individuals by preventing the brain from communicating with the muscles. As a result, people with ALS often face a swift decline in the ability to talk, walk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. There is currently no cure and few treatments for the disease.
2025 recipients:
Jayson Brown, 18, begins his studies in the Childhood and Youth Studies program at King’s University College in London, Ontario, with plans to pursue a career in elementary education. Inspired by a co-op placement in a kindergarten classroom and his lifelong passion for helping children, Jayson is dedicated to making a positive impact on young lives. His journey has been shaped by his father’s ALS diagnosis in 2022, which threw Jayson into a caregiving role and sparked his advocacy efforts. He has led fundraising initiatives and continues to raise awareness through community and media partnerships. Jayson’s resilience and compassion earned him his school’s Spirit Award for Courage, recognizing his strength and leadership in the face of adversity.
“The ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary demonstrates my commitment to advocating for a brighter future for people affected by ALS in Canada,” said Jayson Brown. “Receiving this meaningful bursary recognizes my leadership and resilience to make fundraising efforts, through Steve Dangle and SDPN, the Walk to End ALS and Kids Quest to Cure ALS, while living with the challenges of ALS in my family. In turn, it encourages me to continue working towards better awareness and fundraising for ALS for years to come.”
Dr. Chris Clarke, 30, is completing his final year of residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Inspired by his father’s ALS diagnosis and the compassionate care received in the ER, Chris is committed to providing empathetic, patient-centred care in high-pressure settings. During his residency, he took a leave of absence to help care for his father and later founded ALS Climb for a Cure, leading a self-funded expedition, alongside three close friends, to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which raised more than $24,000 for the ALS Society of Canada’s National Research Program and community support in Alberta. It's Chris’ ambition to continue exploring his passion for extreme environment medicine, high altitude mountaineering, and global advocacy by climbing the remaining Seven Summits to raise awareness and funding for ALS research.
“I am truly humbled and honoured to have received the 2025 ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary. The funds from this will help to alleviate some of the financial stressors incurred from years of medical training,” said Dr. Clarke. “I would like to personally thank the Daly family for their continued dedication to advocacy for ALS research and community resources.”
Madison Corkum, 18, enters her second year at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, where she studies Cognitive Science with a concentration in Neuroscience. Motivated by her personal experience with ALS as a caregiver for both her grandmother and now, supporting her mother who has the C9orf72 gene mutation, Madison plans to pursue a career in occupational therapy or ALS research. She became a caregiver at the age of 13 and continues to support her family. Madison is a passionate advocate, organizing annual fundraisers, managing a dedicated awareness Instagram page, and leading a team for the ALS Canada Walk to End ALS. Her lived experience fuels her drive to improve care, treatments, and one day, find a cure for ALS.
“Receiving the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary is a deeply meaningful honour that recognizes both my academic journey and the challenges my family has faced with ALS,” said Madison. “It eases the burden on my family during this challenging time and will help me pursue my career goals while continuing to support the ALS community and people affected by neurological diseases.”
Paige Diewert, 22, begins her Master of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Inspired by her father’s experience with ALS, Paige is passionate about improving access to reliable information and preserving cultural knowledge. She was a primary caregiver throughout her undergraduate studies, balancing emotional and academic challenges while supporting her family. Paige hopes to contribute to public understanding and empower others through information literacy. Her experience has shaped a deep commitment to advocacy and education, with plans to engage in ALS awareness and fundraising initiatives in Edmonton.
“Just getting through university is difficult at the best of times, and having a parent with a terminal illness can make it a very isolating experience,” said Paige. “I am so grateful to ALS Canada and the Daly family for reminding me that I am not alone in this, and there is a community of people going through similar experiences.”
Peyton Schmidt, 17, begins her Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary in Alberta. Inspired by her father’s experience with ALS, Peyton is determined to become a leader in the corporate world and use her education to reduce the financial burden of critical illnesses on families. As a caregiver, she supported her father through his ALS progression, balancing academics and athletics with compassion and resilience. She has led awareness initiatives in her school and sports community, including the creation of an ALS tribute trophy and helmet sticker campaign. Peyton is also trying out for the university golf team, a sport she shared with her dad and now continues as a meaningful way to honour their bond. Her advocacy is driven by purpose, empathy and a promise to carry her father’s legacy forward.
“Receiving the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary means the world to me. Not only does it support my education, but it is a deeply personal acknowledgment of my father’s journey with ALS and the story I was honoured to share,” said Peyton. “It allowed me to carry forward his strength and spirit as I started university, and I know he would be incredibly proud to see how our family’s experience has turned into something that will help shape my future. This bursary is more than financial aid; it’s a lasting connection to his legacy.”
About ALS and the ALS Society of Canada
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an unrelenting and currently terminal disease. It progressively paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. Nearly 4,000 Canadians live with ALS and approximately 1,000 Canadians are diagnosed each year. Four out of five people living with ALS will die within two to five years of their diagnosis.
The ALS Society of Canada is working to change what it means to live with ALS. Grounded in and informed by the Canadian ALS community, we respond to the urgent unmet need for life-changing treatments by investing in high-quality research that will fuel scientific discovery and by engaging industry, supporting increased clinical capacity, and advocating for equitable, affordable, and timely access to proven therapies.
Responding to the tremendous need for current and credible ALS knowledge, awareness, and education, we empower Canadians affected by ALS to navigate the current realities of ALS, be informed consumers of ALS information, and advocate effectively for change. In Ontario, we provide direct community services to help people navigate ALS.
Founded in 1977, ALS Canada is a registered charity whose work is powered by generous donors who share our vision of a world free of ALS.
Join the conversation and connect with the ALS community online. Find ALS Canada on X, Instagram, or like our page on Facebook. Visit als.ca to find out more.
For more information:
ALS Society of Canada
media@als.ca
437-703-5402
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