PHILANTHROPICKLES: Arthur Cohen’s ‘Pickals’ Continue the Fight Against ALS, One Jar at a Time

(ABOVE: image via Pickals – facebook)

There’s arguably no more polarizing food than pickles. You either love them, or hate them.

But here’s the story of a pickle we can all get behind…

Arthur Cohen made a name for himself as a talented photographer.

“Arthur had magic with pretty much everyone. I think Arthur’s magic came from the fact that he deeply loved people,” says Matthew Lawler, Hoboken resident and dear friend of Arthur Cohen. “His profound love, curiosity, and observation of what made people different  and special can be seen through his photos.”

In addition to his photography, Arthur’s homemade, garlicky pickles had become an obsession among his family, friends and neighbors. When Arthur was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, he came up with the idea of selling his “Pickals” to raise money for an ALS cure.

And so, Pickals was born.

Since then, Arthur’s crunchy, small-batch pickles have raised over $250,000 for ALS research and patient care. Profits from every jar benefit organizations actively working on an ALS cure, as well as those helping patients and their families navigate this cruel disease.

Sadly, Arthur’s brave battle with ALS ended this past August, but his legacy and mission live on.

“One of the hopes is that the pickles serve as a reminder, a symbol for ALS in the way that a pink ribbon remind people about breast cancer and the ongoing fight to defeat it,” says Lawler. “It is our goal that this jar be a symbol of hope to those impacted. That they see that people are working hard to find a cure.”

As for the Pickals themselves—they are absolutely phenomenal. We here at hMAG housed an entire jar instanly…

Before you get all judgy, try for yourself. Pickals “delectable chips of joy” are avialable online, in all Kings Food Markets in NJ, and at other specialty food stores.

Because as much fun as we had doing the ice bucket challenge, the Pickals jar challenge is so, so much better…