BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – Hundreds of miles aren’t stopping Boardman High School grads from supporting one of their own.

Brian O’Neill now lives in Chicago but is organizing a fundraiser to support a former classmate with ALS.

Chris Yozwiak was diagnosed with ALS in 2020 and now uses a pen and tablet to communicate.

Since then, his family and friends have raised awareness for the disease. His 9-year-old son even raised thousands of dollars for ALS research.

His classmates say he’s beloved by the community and they want to help.

“He’s been so giving. For us to see a guy like that struggle with this disease and how aggressive it is and struggle financially, it’s been absolutely heart-wrenching,” O’Neill said.

“Just to know that he is surrounded by family and friends that love him and are willing to do anything for him, it makes a challenging journey a little more tolerable,” said Jennifer Yozwiak, Chris’ wife.

The spaghetti dinner is Friday, Nov. 25 from 2-6 p.m. at the Boardman High School cafeteria.

Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 20 and can be purchased on the event’s Facebook page.