PORTLAND — ALS patients joined family, friends and supporters in Deering Oaks park Sunday to raise awareness and hope for a cure to the disease that impacts 30,000 people in the U.S.

The annual Maine Walk to Defeat ALS drew more than 300 people. By the time they took their first steps on the one-mile walk, teams had raised $70,000 and counting.

Many did so in honor of a loved one who is living with the disease or died from it.

Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative condition with no known cause or cure. All proceeds from the walk benefited research, advocacy and care.

“ALS takes our ability to walk, to talk, to take care of ourselves,” John Peffer, a patient from Kittery, told the crowd. “But it can’t take the love, the courage and the faith to drive us forward.”

Peffer, 62, was diagnosed with ALS last year after noticing a tingling in his fingers. His father also had the disease, dying in his 60s. Since his diagnosis, Peffer has retired and devoted his life to being a full-time advocate.

“I want to get out and spread the word that the drug companies aren’t going to go after this disease because there’s no profit … so all the funds have to be privately generated,” he said in an interview.

Peffer wore a gold lanyard with a key on the end to identify him as living with ALS. Walkers honoring someone living with the disease wore blue key lanyards; those walking for someone who died wore white ones; and general supporters wore red ones. The key signifies “unlocking” ALS — its cause, treatment, and, one day, a cure.

The walk was organized by the ALS Association, which funds research, helps patients and their families and advocates for policy change.

“ALS is a disease with no cure, and the average lifespan of the disease is two to five years,” said Althea Wong-Achorn, the association’s development manager. “It is one of those diseases that there’s not a lot of funding for, so we’re really out here to make that difference.”

Peffer posts daily TikToks about what it’s like to live with ALS, taking on the disease’s challenges with a sense of humor. Sometimes, he’s wearing a helmet to protect his head, telling his followers about a recent fall. In another video, he explains the difficult task of opening a Ziploc bag of his wife’s chocolate chip cookies.

The Portland walk was the third ALS fundraiser of the weekend for Peffer. Social media helps him tell his story and show the disease on a human level, no complicated medical terminology required.

“For the most part, we that have ALS don’t have medical backgrounds, we’re just your average Joes,” Peffer said.

A group of walkers from Oxford County also had a personal connection to the disease. Their friend and coworker, Deb Martin, died from ALS in April.

“That lady had a smile on her face a mile long,” said Mimi McAllister, of South Paris, who worked with Martin at Community Concepts. “She was just absolutely the most warming person you could hope to meet.”

For unknown reasons, veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ALS. That was the case for Joshua Kennedy, who served in the Army and died from the disease in 2012.

The Kennedy family, dressed in green camo, has been coming to ALS Association events for 15 years.

“15 years ago, (Joshua) cut the ribbon,” at the walk, said his wife, Ernesta Kennedy, of New Gloucester.

In addition to raising money, ALS walks provide an opportunity for the family to connect with others touched by the disease, she said.

“I love mingling with people and seeing everybody, just knowing that everybody has their own story,” Ernesta Kennedy said.