Dear Family and Friends,
Last Friday evening, members of the 2012 Louisville Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee had the privelege of staffing a Walk information and registration table at the Louisville Bats game. We signed up several teams and handed out post cards about the Walk and about the Association’s services to lots more. We met our goals, so I could have gone home merely satisfied.
Instead, I went home absolutely fulfilled.
First, my husband and I got to spend time with Barb and Al Webb. Al was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago and he and Barb moved back to Louisville from Florida so they could be closer to family as they navigate life with this disease. What a truly delightful couple. Al’s cheerful attitude, punctuated by dimples and rosy cheeks, washes over you as you chat with him. Barb, too, carries her knowledge of Al’s condition with a hopeful demeanor. Behind the scenes, they’re clearly aware of the issues to come – financial, emotional, physical. But they’re surely channeling their concerns to make a difference by sharing their story and volunteering on behalf of the Association.
Second, we were able to speak with others who are facing the disease, or who have lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s. Without fail, everyone we spoke with who had been touched by Alzheimer’s wanted to share their story. One gentleman told us of his wife, diagnosed in her 50s and taken away from him by age 61. He didn’t have to be cheerful with us, and my heart broke for him as he shared his story.
Later, a friend of mine stopped by. When I asked her if she knew someone with Alzheimer’s, she cast her eyes down and said she thought her husband might have the disease. It felt good to share with her the services and information that are available from the Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She made a donation, too. I’m so grateful, and I hope shes reaches out to the Association.
From time to time, some children who were watching the game stopped by the table to see what we were giving away. They were silly and carefree, running quickly on when they discovered we had nothing for them. One young boy lingered just long enough to say that his grandmother has Alzheimer’s, however. He said it makes his mom sad. And then he, too, was on his way to catch up with friends
The Bats ended their evening with a loss, but I walked away with a winning feeling. I had the opportunity to talk with some people who are facing this devastating disease, to share some stories and to offer a little helpful information. I’ll be thinking about the people we talked with, and keeping them in my prayers.
Members of the 2012 Louisville Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee will be at two more Louisville Bats games in the coming months – May 27 and July 6. We’ll also be at the St. Matthews Farmer’s Market on May 19. Please stop by and let us sign you up for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Those who sign up on the spot and donate $25 will have the chance to win a Kindle Fire e-reader.
Or you can always go online right now and sign up. The new registration site makes it very easy. Here is the link: http://act.alz.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage
Sincerely,
