The approach of summer means golf courses across the area are getting busy. But the Parkersburg Country Club was filled with golfers with more in mind than just a day on the course.

They were helping to raise money for the David Couch Fund, to help raise money for A.L.S. research. Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, attacks the body's nerve cells, eventually affecting the body's muscle functions. But supporters of the effort say it's an ailment many still don't know about.

"Recently, the Government has recognized there's an A.L.S. registry now," says Derek Breau, Director of the Driving 4 Life Program, and a special guest at the tournament. "And the incidences of A.L.S. are gooing to be higher than everyone thought. But not enough people know about this disease, especially how debilitating and tragic it is. The symptoms start well ahead of the actual diagnosis, so people die soon after. It's tragic and it's a crisis."

The golf outing is named for David Couch, who was a Wood County Commissioner from 1997 to 2000. Couch was diagnosed with the ailment two years before he died in December of 2001. The first fund-raising tournament was held just months before his passing.

"Usually, they're pretty quiet about it," Breau said of people diagnosed with A.L.S. "As soon as they begin talking, then they know several other people in the community have been affected by it, whether it's a family friend or co-worker, so it's very much about the awareness."

This tournament is about awareness as much as it's about money. But in it's existence, it has raised more than $230,000 for A.L.S. programs.

In it's advanced stages, care for an A.L.S. patient can cost up to $200,000 a year.