Saturday, April 5, 2014

Walk to End Alzheimer's - APR 14 Update #alzheimers



I recently attended a conference at work and stopped by a booth for Alzheimer's awareness. I can't say there was anything that really grabbed my attention – I knew it affected millions of Americans, especially in their older years. It's a disorder that's touched everyone's lives one way or another, even mine.

I glanced at the literature at the table, asked a couple of questions, then spied a flyer: Walk to End Alzheimer's. I love to walk. I can't really describe how I felt – empowered, maybe? My gut was telling me to help so I picked up the flyer and after a few days of mulling over the feasibility of such a daunting undertaking I formed a team.

I asked a bunch of ladies at work if they were interested and wanted to join. They were very enthusiastic and jumped right on board.

It feels good to be helping such a worthy cause and everyone on the team has had Alzheimer's touch their lives. My team is the "Forget Me Nots" and I'd like to give a shout out to the ladies on the team: Jessie Loya, Debi Tinker, Lori Powell, D'Arcy Schroeder, Deby Herdrich and Seanean Durden. We'll be walking 5K on Sep 20th, 2014 in Santa Clarita, CA. Our individual goal is $100.00 and our team goal is $2000.00.

Our first group fundraiser will be a bake sale at the Valley Communications Dispatch Center in LA on 15 April.

I know most people reading the blog can't come out to LA to support our first group effort, but if you would consider supporting the team with a monetary donation, it would be most appreciated. Any amount is welcomed.

If you donate over $50.00, I'll send you a print book from my backlog: Victorian Scoundrel, The Hungarian, or The Faberge Secret, along with a Lori Powell original book bag.


My next team update will be on 10 MAY here on my blog. So far the team has raised $75.00.

Here's a link to our team page on Alz.org if you'd like to donate:

Again, thanks so much. This endeavor is a big thing for all of us. It's a little scary, too, but knowing that we've helped, even a little, means a lot to us.

Just a little about Alzheimer's:

** Wear purple to show your support for Alzheimer's.

** Alzheimer's is a common form of dementia over 65.

** Age is the primary risk for developing Alzheimer's.

** Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning.

** For dementia, 2 or more mental functions must be impaired. They include: memory, language skills, visual perception, the ability to focus and pay attention, and the ability to reason and solve problems.

** Some people with dementia can't control their emotions, resulting in delusions. The most common is a strong belief, without proof, that someone is stealing from them.

For more info visit: Alz.org


Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher with LAPD. She's also a romance and children's author published with 4RV Publishing, Desert Breeze, and Victory Tales Press. She's married, is addicted to coffee, adores chocolate, and a chauffer to her boy's busy schedule.


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