Hayward woman to ski Birkie 15K in memory of father

Hayward woman to ski Birkie 15K in memory of father

HAYWARD — A grandmother doesn’t expect to win any medals in her first Birkie 15K ski race. Maria Becker, a former nurse at Great Lakes Elementary School in Superior who now lives in Hayward, does hope to raise at least $1,000 for the ALS Association. On Feb. 18, Becker will race in memory of her father, Oliver Bade, who died from ALS in 2014. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects nerve cell…