Our Champions
Augie was my first love — I met him when we were 16.
Augie was a bridesmaid in the first marriage.
Augie became my husband 30+ years ago.
Augie wasn’t always easy — that’s what made him special. As I like to say, “Augie was an asshole, but he was my asshole!”
February is a bittersweet month for me. Today, February 15, would have been Augie’s 68th birthday. I’ll be in Puerto Vallarta with some of our family, celebrating him at his favorite restaurant and ordering his favorite dish — lasagna. This will be the third birthday I’ve celebrated without him. But he is with me in my heart, and I choose to keep him close.
One week after his birthday marks the third anniversary of his passing. Before he died, Augie prepared an email to be sent to family and friends. In it, he quoted Winnie the Pooh: “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever.” Nothing could be truer.
He also wrote: “Please keep me in your hearts… please help continue the progress of Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS. Please help Lynne carry on the mission — the second finest achievement of my life. Because I will be in your heart, I will get to experience the joy when we discover a cure.” Wow. He asked — and you answered. Because of your generosity and commitment, the mission continues to grow. Research is advancing. Progress is being made. And we move closer every day to discovering cures.
I tear up as I write this. You see, I wasn’t sure we could keep the momentum going at Augie’s Quest and ALS TDI after losing him. But as usual, Augie had the vision and foresight to know what he started would continue until we complete his mission.
So although February is bittersweet, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have shared fifty years with Augie — the good times and the bad. I was lucky not only to be in his front row, but to hold the hand of the man on the stage… and kiss him good-night.
— Lynne Nieto
Chairman of the Board, Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS & ALS Therapy Development Institute
