The Longest Day Can Be Anything You Want It To Be
Story by Alzheimer’s Association
The summer solstice, June 21, 2022 is the longest day of the year — the day with the most light. It is also the day when advocates for increasing Alzheimer’s awareness and those fighting for a prevention or cure celebrate their fundraising efforts. The second signature fundraiser of the Alzheimer’s Association — The Longest Day — is an opportunity for people across the world to come together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through an activity of their choice.
Participating is easy — choose an activity you like to do or that the person you are honoring/remembering likes/liked to do and turn it into a fundraiser to fight Alzheimer’s. The sky is the limit with fundraising ideas. The Longest Day has been recognized with sports tournaments, crafting bizarres, fishing expeditions, wine tastings, elegant private dinners and so much more.
Your activity can be held whenever and wherever. The beauty of The Longest Day is that you create your fundraiser so it works best for you and the people participating with you, and on June 21, the longest day, there will be celebrations worldwide to honor all fundraising efforts for The Long
Ann & Mark Fraser
Anne Fraser lost her parents, 6 months apart. They both had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In 2016, Fraser, a local Realtor, began noticing issues with her own cognition. She was tested and learned that she has one copy of the APOE4 gene (a risk gene for Alzheimer’s). Fraser is now extremely diligent in her lifestyle choices, including a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, staying in good physical shape, and regularly exercising her mind, with intention to lower her risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementia. This year she is planning her second annual Night of Hope Gala on June 10 to honor her parents. Her goal is to raise $100,000.
Morgan Belardo and her Father, Jose
Morgan Belardo is a first-year college student at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her home is in Lansing, KS. Belardo’s father, José, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 50. Morgan has been part of her family care team for her father and has always loved baking cakes for him. In 2018 she started her fundraiser, “The Sweet Exchange,” where she invited the entire Lansing, KS community to her home to enjoy some of her handmade sweet treats. Belardo’s mother, Elaine, says, “What started out as an attempt to empower our daughter when Alzheimer’s hit our family has grown all of us tremendously! Doing something she loves for her dad, who she loves, allows her to help many people braving the realities of dementia.” This year’s Sweet Exchange is June 18.
Alan Rickert, president of Centerpoint Advisory Services, has lost several family members to Alzheimer’s and has a specific interest in Alzheimer’s research. Rickert, originally a golf professional, is planning his second Centerpoint Golf Tournament on September 27.
Chris Crane, Crane Brewing Company, is on tap to make what started as an evening gathering five years ago into a week-long event this year. There will be point of purchase opportunities for one week before their event on June 25 which will include food trucks and even a signature purple beer.
As you see, The Longest Day can be anything you want it to be. You can participate at home, online, or in person and engage with family, friends and co-workers. There is still time to be part of this exciting fundraiser.
Check out alz.org/thelongestday for more information on how to register your activity.
