Reflections on the ALS Network Gala and More

🎗 Champions for Cures and Care Gala was last night, January 24th, 2026

Last night’s ALS Network Champions for Cures and Care Gala in Pasadena was an event that renewed my sense of pride in this community. It was a gathering of warriors, dreamers, clinicians, researchers, caregivers, patients, families, and advocates who refuse to accept that “impossible” is a final answer. We were united by one shared mission: ending ALS. There was laughter, resilience, determination…and above all, gratitude for each other.

One of the highlights of the evening was the Advocate of the Year Award, which went to a man whose work has amplified awareness and given strength to countless families and individuals: Eric Dane. The ALS Network announced this honor last fall, acknowledging the profound impact his advocacy has had since publicly sharing his own diagnosis in April 2025.

I had the honor of presenting that award to Eric, who sadly couldn’t attend in person, but I will ensure he receives it with all of our love and appreciation.

The press has understandably covered aspects of Eric’s health and his ability to participate in public appearances. Many outlets have reported that, due to the physical realities of ALS, Eric was not able to attend in person, but I want to be clear that he was fully honored and celebrated at the Gala and is deeply appreciated for his advocacy.

Eric’s impact, through his public voice, his courage, and the way he continues to show up for this cause, is what the award is really about.

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Here’s a copy of my presentation speech, if you’d like to read it 🗣️

Good Evening everyone.
I am so proud to be a part of this community. A community of the world’s best clinicians, researchers, caregivers and patients and families. Together we have dedicated ourselves to the pursuit of an impossible dream: ending ALS. And together we have never been closer to achieving that dream than we are now.

Tonight, we celebrate a man who is at the forefront of this mission - Advocate of the Year, the man of the hour, Eric Dane.

Eric and I have more in common than a couple of initials…
We worked together last year on Eric’s Amazon series The Countdown. We’ve both starred in projects called The Last Ship (Eric on television, me on Broadway.) And we’ve both played doctors on TV. Eric, of course, is forever known as the legendary Dr. Mark Sloan, McSteamy, on Grey’s Anatomy. And I once played… a serial-killer orthodontist on an episode of Blue Bloods. But my mother thought I looked like Patrick Dempsey, so I’ll take the win.

Eric, I’m deeply honored to be here tonight to present you with this award, with special thanks to Dean and Kathleen Rasmussen.

When I was on this stage two years ago, I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be an advocate. I do now.

Eric, I want to thank you for your courage, resilience, and love.
You were courageous from the moment I shook your hand. And it takes courage, resilience, and love to get on a plane to Washington, D.C. and meet with lawmakers to fight for the renewal and expansion of the ACT for ALS.
It takes courage, resilience, and love to spend long days on set portraying a firefighter living with ALS, sharing a piece of your journey with global television audiences…
It takes courage, resilience, and love to awaken each morning, and simply look up instead of down… showing his children what is possible in the face of the impossible.

Eric, from all of us in this room, to millions around the world, please know how thankful we are… for your advocacy, and for YOU. We love you. Congratulations, brother.

(Full speech delivered on January 24, 2026, at the ALS Network Champions for Cures and Care Gala.)

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🧗‍♂️ The Art of Showing Up, and the Courage to Listen Within

There’s a theme running through all of this - one that was vividly illustrated across the globe just hours later, when Alex Honnold completed his free solo climb of Taipei 101, scaling the landmark without ropes or safety gear. It was a breathtaking achievement that reminded us how deeply humans can push toward what calls them.

What Eric’s advocacy and Alex’s climb have in common isn’t surface-level heroism; it’s listening deeply to calling, to body, and to the right way to show up. Sometimes showing up means standing in front of a crowd; sometimes it means honoring your limits and channeling your impact in ways that are quieter but no less powerful.

This is a lesson for all of us: courage isn’t only found in the spotlight. It’s found in vulnerability, in self-awareness, and in the choices we make to protect our health while still advancing our purpose.

Sometimes the most inspiring move is not physically showing up for one event, but choosing the right way to show up for the long haul.

🎧 Coming Soon to the Podcast: Alex Honnold

I’m thrilled to share that Alex Honnold will be joining us on the podcast in the coming months. We’ll dig into this very idea: how to balance calling with physical reality, how to find courage in restraint as well as action, and how to live a life guided by both ambition and self-care.

Last night’s ALS Network Gala reminded me again: this community is not defined by a single moment, a single stage, or a single award. We are defined by what we do, together, every day… in big ways and quiet ones.

Stay tuned for more Impossible Dreams this Tuesday, on my YouTube channel.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being part of this journey.

Love,

Aaron