Yes, that’s Winnemucca and the surrounding area. We are willing to learn, to think, to change, to act to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Evidence of this is the 9th Annual Up and AATT ‘em Turkey Trot. Even with 18* temperature and ornery, icy wind puffs, over 350 hardy individuals arrived to jog, run, trot, walk, saunter, and stroll. Led by the Lowry Wrestling Team and guided by Lowry Cheer, a mighty force combed the streets with a choice of a 3K, 5K, or 8K dash. With over $9,000 donated, respite and education are guaranteed for the coming year as we look forward to next Thanksgiving and another tremendous turn-out.
What do I love best about the Turkey Trot? Well, the aspects are too numerous to mention them all, but I’ll list a few. Enthusiasm – from start to finish everyone wears a bright smile accentuated with laughter and friendly waves. Lowry participation – kids really define our future and with the wonderful commitment our young participants exhibit, greatness abounds – now and for years to come. Dedication – the Trot extends a chance to step out of a person’s own world and become a part of erasing the stigma of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias with this event. Love – it’s in the air, absolutely and truly, everyone exudes a specialness that I cannot even begin to describe. Each year as I pack up and head for home, my heart senses warmth and goodness.
In 2022 our sponsorships expanded to include Mad Hatter, Wade Distributing, donations from the Ken Christean Memorial, TOPS, the Snyder Family, Shelly Drake, Keener Dental, Karen Betz, Humboldt General Hospital Employees Fund, HGH, Patricia Stathis and Julia, and our partner, Humboldt Volunteer Hospice. With a support team like this, we gotta be outstanding! Respite is on a positive roll at Pleasant Senior Center – you, magnificent Trotters have helped pay for lunch and supplies. Educational presentations from our Brain Health Conference to Powerful Tools for Caregivers (90 minutes, live and via Zoom every Wednesday for six weeks beginning January 4th – register today) and specialized programs for your organization now have funding – Cheers to Trotters! You name it, we can do it. You simply have to ask. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Awareness and Age- and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca stand ready to serve. Outlying areas, email me if you recognize the need for dementia discussions and training. Knowledge produces power.
A little more on Powerful Tools… A program designed by Dignity Health and St. Rose Dominican, each of the six days offers excellent methods for navigating the trials (and errors) of caregiving. Ranging from ideas for care for babies to aging seniors, strategies overflow on topics like daily challenges and erasing negative self-talk and replacing it with a positive outlook as well as coping with difficult emotions and overwhelming decisions. Support arrives via awareness, excellent information and practical tools, and finding comfort from other attendees. It’s free! Register today by calling Tori Diego at 702-616-4912. You’ll receive a box filled with books, literature, and more goodies than I can name. Co-hosted with Hannah Linden from UNR, we promise to make this a terrific experience.
Yesterday I received a very optimistic email from Elizabeth Edgerly, PhD, Executive Director with the Alzheimer’s Association: “The Alzheimer’s Association welcomes and is further encouraged by the full Phase 3 data presented by Eisai and Biogen from the CLARITY AD global clinical trial of lecanemab. The data presented today and published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms this treatment can meaningfully change the course of the disease for people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association calls for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accelerated approval of lecanemab.” From another article, “Lecanemab binds to and removes clumps of protein …known as amyloid plaque.” Then today I discovered discouraging news about this drug, primarily that while the drug slows cognitive decline in many who are in the early stages, there may be frightening side effects like bleeding or swelling of the brain. Researchers think that amyloid plaques are the key cause of Alzheimer’s disease and that any steps forward in a delay in progression is good. After decades of failures, this drug transfusion provides new ways to attack the disease and hopefully time and further studies will prove this.
Respite continues at Pleasant Senior Center. A rewarding experience, consider joining us each Thursday at 11. Your kindness and donation of time and spirit are appreciated.
