Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022

Location: Harvey L. Hall Family Plaza at California State University Bakersfield

Making Strides for CJD 

On October 2, 2022 supporters of those affected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) are planning to gather for the 5^th Annual Strides for CJD in memory of Bakersfield’s 25^th Mayor and EMS Pioneer Harvey L. Hall.   

For the past four years, Strides for CJD - Bakersfield has been the Top Fundraising Site and Team Big H, in memory of Harvey L. Hall has been the Top Fundraising Team in the United States.  Help us keep the momentum going as we raise funds for the CJD Foundation to provide family support, medical education, and funding for research programs related to CJD.   

A New Location  

Plans are underway to hold the 2022 event at the new Harvey L. Hall Family Plaza, located on the concourse of the Icardo Center at California State University Bakersfield.  This new gathering place for CSUB students and the community will serve as the perfect backdrop and start/finish line for Strides for CJD – Bakersfield.   

Mayor Harvey L. Hall's Battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Every other Tuesday, Hall Ambulance leadership, managers, and field supervisors would gather for their bi-weekly staff meeting, presided over by Harvey L. Hall, which always started on time. 

On the morning of April 17, 2018, the group fell into a routine, standing in respect as Mr. Hall entered the room, followed by him selecting someone to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.  As he took his seat, he kept taking the field supervisor reports, moving them from one stack to another.  The room was quiet, with a sense that something was not right. 

When Mr. Hall started talking, he made no sense. 

The room was cleared, and shortly after that, he was transported by one of his ambulances to the hospital.  At first, it was thought he had suffered a cerebral incident or stroke, but all his tests came back negative. 

He had an MRI, and after further testing, on a Friday evening, his wife, Lavonne, received a phone call from the neurologist.  She knew if he was calling on a Friday evening, that was not good.  She was informed it was a prion disease, that it was not treatable, and rapidly progressing.

Mr. Hall was transported to Cedars-Sinai, in Los Angeles, where they ran additional tests.  The results were forwarded to the Mayo Clinic, which provided the definitive diagnosis of the sporadic form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

His family brought him home under hospice care.  Just two weeks and seven hours following diagnosis, a few minutes past midnight on the morning of May 19, 2018, Harvey L. Hall’s short battle with CJD came to an end. 

Confused, his wife was left lost and searching for answers and information about this rare disease. “From that moment, I vowed to become a strong advocate dedicated to finding a treatment and cure for CJD,” she said. “The CJD Foundation provided solace, and I soon realized that I was not alone. I've since joined the CJD Foundation Board and have met many other CJD families with similar experiences, including here in Bakersfield and Kern County.”

About Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease 

Strides for CJD enables families to pay tribute to loved ones impacted by Creuztfeldt-Jakob Disease, and raise awareness of this rare neurodegenerative disease that currently has no treatment or cure.  CJD is caused by ‘prions,’ proteins that can misfold in the brain, with devastating effect, including rapid mental and physical deterioration.  Prion diseases are invariably fatal.  

How to Participate:

• Registration:

  • Adults: $30 before September 16th, $35 on and after September 16th

  • Children 12 and Under: $20 before September 16th, $25 on or after September 16th

• Set up a fundraising page. and share it with all  your contacts via email and social media. Teams who raise $1,000+ by August TBD will be able to have their loved one's name included on the participant t-shirt. Please note, registration fees do not count toward the $1,000+ to have your loved one's name included on the participant t-shirt.

• In October 2022, wear your 2022 Strides for CJD shirt, post photos or videos of yourself and your. family in Strides t-shirts, and spread awareness on social media.

To donate to Team Big H, text "strides2022 teambigh" to 50155. 

Donations of $250 and above are considered sponsorships.

Sponsorship Levels:

• Diamond: $10,000
• Platinum: $5,000
• Gold: $1,000
• Silver: $500
• Bronze: $250

Diamond and Platinum Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on participant t-shirts, the Strides for CJD website, and signage. Gold Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on the Strides for CJD website, and will have their name listed on participant T-shirts and signage. Silver and Bronze Sponsors will have their name listed on the Strides for CJD website only.