In June I assembled and led an amazing group of purpose-driven individuals on a challenging adventure – a 23.9-mile, 1-day hike from the Grand Canyon’s north rim to south rim. Each of us used the hike, which we dubbed Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, to raise funds for a charity near and dear to our hearts. My efforts, [...]
It wasn’t until my niece Jenna was born that my eyes were opened. And it wasn’t until I saw what children like Jenna are made to endure that my view of the world started to change. Jenna was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome – a rare neurological disorder that causes abnormal blood vessels to develop in the [...]
In each of us is the power to make a difference. This isn’t just rhetoric. This is something I wholeheartedly believe, something I’ve observed time and again. So when the cause of Sturge-Weber Syndrome — the rare neurological disorder that afflicts my 10-year-old niece Jenna, was discovered, I knew it was my time to help further [...]
Arundel NewsNetwork | Anna Lucente Hoffmann | May 23, 2016 For one Annapolis man, it wasn’t enough to ride his bike across the country to raise awareness about a rare medical disorder. He’s now traveled coast to coast on foot for the same cause. Riva resident Al DeCesaris recently finished up a run down the East [...]
Capital Gazette | Wendi Winters | May 12, 2016 Local attorney turned author and advocate Al DeCesaris of Davidsonville has published his second book, “Running the Coast for a Cure,” which details his 93-day, 14 state, 1,935 mile solo run along the East Coast, from Lubec, Maine to Key Largo, Florida in 2014. He ran an [...]
Capital Gazette | Brandi Bottalico | July 13, 2015 Al DeCesaris thought biking across the country sounded more manageable than running. So he bought a bike and three weeks later hit the road. “Little did I know.” The Annapolis resident wanted to do something “out of the box” to raise awareness for Sturge-Weber syndrome, a neurological [...]
University of Delaware Messenger | Volume 23, Number 1 | Artika Casini | April 2015 Al DeCesaris, AS95, has never run a marathon. But on December 9, 2014, he completed a 1,935-mile run in honor of his niece, Jenna Heck, who was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS), a rare neurological disorder with no cure. His “Running the Coast [...]
Capital Gazette | Wendi Winters | December 28, 2014 Annapolis lawyer Albert “Al” DeCesaris says he’s “an average guy,” but he didn’t pick an average way to raise money for a niece who suffers from a rare medical condition. On Dec. 9, DeCesaris completed a 93-day, 1,935-mile fundraising run from Lubec, Maine, all the way down [...]
Bay Weekly | Volume XXII, Number 44 | Bob Melamud | October 30, 2014 Millions of people dump ice water on their heads to raise money for ALS. Hundreds of thousands walk for breast cancer. Can one lone person hope to make a difference? Especially fighting a plight out of the limelight? Annapolis lawyer and St. [...]
South River Source | Author | October 21, 2014 About six weeks ago, local attorney Al DeCesaris set off on foot from Lubec, Maine to help raise money and awareness for Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS), a rare neurological disease that afflicts his young niece, Jenna Heck, a student at Davidsonville Elementary. DeCesaris’ plan is to run the [...]
