CATLETTSBURG, Ky. - Eighty-year-old Ted Dowdell of Elryia and his friend, Greg Emmons, of Santa Fe, N.M.,

draw curious stares as they made their way down the Ohio River.

For one thing, their 16-foot catamaran is handmade and powered by two sets of pedals that keep both men going from morning to night. But the reason for the trip also sets it apart from other excursions: Dowdell is powered by something stronger than the pedals underneath his feet: he is driven by the love of a woman, and a desire to help others avoid the fate that befell her.

"This was my wife," Dowdell said, holding a picture of the late Bonnie Jean Dowdell, who died Aug. 17, 1998 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. "I met her the first day she hired in; we worked at the same shop. I had a date with her a couple weeks later and I gave her a ring before I went away to service. We were married for almost 52 years. We had four children together. She

was a good, wholesome, decent country girl and her family was her life," Dowdell said tenderly, still holding the photograph. "I took care of her the whole time she had ALS and there was nothing I could do except comfort and console her. When she died, I figured I didn't have much time left and what time I did have, I would do something to help my fellow man."

Dowdell hopes that by making his 2003-mile trip, he will raise money for and awareness of ALS. Greg Emmons used his sailboat to fashion a makeshift catamaran. Emmons' wife, Arlene functions as a one-woman support staff, traveling the shoreline in a car, and making sure the two men have food and water. Greg Emmons takes a short break every evening to update the team's Web site. Mission Cure ALS left Fairmont, W.Va. 29 days ago, and will end on or about Dec. 1 in New Orleans, La.

The two men spend nearly 24 hours on their boat, pitching a tent to sleep in every evening, rolling it up every morning so they have enough room for their equipment. Along the way, they stop to explain why their doing what they're doing. They often hear stories from others who have lost loved ones to the dreaded disease.

"This is not a vacation; this is not an adventure," Dowdell said. "This is an ordeal, but its an ordeal I'm willing to make if I can do some good for my fellow man. I hope they won't every have to watch a loved one suffer and die the way I watched my wife suffer and die. It wasn't fair. I hope that every one who reads this will donate a penny for every mile I make. If everyone does that we could raise about $2 million. That's the price of a couple of pizzas."

Those who want to donate my sent their contributions to

The ALS Association, P.O. Box 93207, Cleveland, Ohio 44101-5207. Dowdell asked that people who donate in his name mark their contributions "Mission Cure ALS."

Information about the trip is updated daily on the team's Web site: http://cureals.home.att.net.

"I'm a dreamer," Dowdell said. "I figured I had to do it. I prayed a lot and I figured if I did it, I might be able to do some good. I hope people who read this have a heart."