Former Employee, Friend Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Chef Gerry Hayden

SOUTHOLD, NY — More than a year after he lost his brave battle with ALS, Chef Gerry Hayden's legacy lives on.

Friends, colleagues and loved ones continue to work valiantly to keep the beloved chef's memory alive.

Most recently, former employee Will Fujita kicked off a GoFundMe page, "Mr. F's Movember," to raise funds for the ALS Association. He surpassed his $1,000 goal by $45.

"I am a music teacher in Sag Harbor, NY," Fujita wrote. "When I was 15, I began working at the North Fork Table and Inn for Chef Gerry Hayden. Gerry was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, fought for years, and passed away in September of 2015. Gerry's strength and passion impacted an entire community, and continues to inspire me as an individual."

During the month of November, he said, "I will be growing a mustache to raise awareness for ALS. I will be keeping a daily blog of the mustache's progression. My goal is to raise $1000 for the ALS Association. All proceeds will be donated to this organization.In closing, I mustache use a question . . . 'How much will you donate?'"

To continue to donate to the campaign, click here.

September may have marked one year since Chef Hayden of the North Fork Table and Inn lost his brave battle with ALS at 50, but many have continued to honor Hayden, a pioneer in the Slow Food East End movment.

In September, a "Gala in the Garden Event," to raise funds for the ALS Ride for Life, Slow Food East End, and Project Most, was hosted by fellow chef Colin Ambrose, Jessica Ambrose and Estia’s Little Kitchen in Hayden's honor.

The Slow Food East End movement was a passion shared by Hayden and Ambrose.

During his valiant battle, North Fork chefs and farmers came together many times in a resounding show of love for Hayden, who was candid about the disease and how it impacted his life.

According to the ALS Association, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, "is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord."

As motor neurons degenerate and die, the ability of the brain to control muscle movement is lost, and patients may become totally paralyzed and have difficulty breathing, the site states.

Hayden was diagnosed with ALS in 2010."This disease is devastating," Hayden told Patch in 2013. "It's really horrible. It takes everything from you, except for your brain, which is still intact."

The award-winning chef lost the use of his hands and could no longer work in his renowned kitchen. He was also wheelchair bound and on a machine to help him breathe.

Despite the fact that the disease is so debilitating, Hayden said, during the candid interview in 2013, that not much is known about ALS.

"This disease needs so much more attention," he said. "No one even really remembers who Lou Gehrig is anymore. They have no idea how absolutely cruel this disease is."

To that end, "A Love Shared" was born, which, according to its Facebook page at the time, was "a collaborative effort between the North Fork Table and Inn, renowned Long Island chefs, local farmers and important community businesses," called "Hayden's Heroes."

The group hosted fundraisers to benefit ALS research, with chefs signing on from across the East End.

Hayden believed his disease may have been sparked by "outside influences" such as chemicals in the water supply and pesticides in food that existed before today's grass-fed beef and focus on organic farming.

Hayden started a farmer's market outside the North Fork Table and Inn, which still takes place and is eagerly embraced.

Hayden, who was born in Setauket, summered in Jamesport; his wife Claudia Fleming was born in Brentwood.

"We're both Long Islanders," he told Patch. "When I was diagnosed, the community, the farmers and people I work with wanted to do something."

And today, that commitment to fight the ALS battle in his memory lives on in the many who organize fundraisers in his name.

Even the youngest remember a man who blazed culinary trails and touched countless lives with his huge and giving heart.

In June, Isaiah Mraz, a sixth grader at Southold Elementary School, was inspired to host a movie night fundraiser Friday night at the school's new, outdoor amphitheater, in memory of Hayden.

Isaiah's parents Mike and Mary Mraz are co-owners of The North Fork Table with Chef Hayden and his wife Fleming.

The impact of ALS on Hayden's life was devastating, he said during the 2013 interview.

"It's an incredibly difficult thing," he said. Even talking was a challenge because Hayden lost his breath easily.

Hayden's entire world shifted with his diagnosis, he said. "I've gone from a guy who was working 18 hours a day with my wife at a dream restaurant to a guy who is stuck home alone in a wheelchair with a breathing machine."

But until the end of his life, his optimism remained intact. So many other ALS victims, he told Patch, faced far worse physical challenges. "I'm the lucky one," he said.

Hayden took great delight in not only taking the ice bucket challenge, but in cheering on friends and colleagues to do the same, saying that it was the best thing to ever happen to ALS research.