Watching Alzheimer’s directly take my mother’s life, I knew of the Alzheimer’s Foundation but it took a push by my mom - two weeks AFTER she passed -- to get me engaged. While attending a conference in Nashville this past July, I met Don Gibson (don.gibson@ATIrestoration.com) while waiting on our respective tables at the hotel restaurant. Idle chit-chat led to a conversation about golf and Don’s participation in the ALZ charity golf event the next morning, hosted by Brookdale. I shared I had lost my mom to ALZ just two weeks prior and she had been a resident at Brookdale (Chapel Hill, NC). Mom - always eager to start a conversation with a stranger - certainly prompted me to tell my story with Don. I asked him how I might support the next morning’s golf event. He asked if I would be interested in playing? Don turned out to be a major sponsor of the event and with a few calls, he managed to open up a spot on his foursome despite full event capacity (144 players).
That’s where Mom really took over. With a birdie-streak over the last 6 holes, our foursome ended up winning the tournament and our prize money was ceremoniously contributed back to the cause. And I became an instant member of the ALZ Foundation.
So now I’ll have my mom pushing me along toward the finish line of the cycle Ride to End ALZ TEXAS. And with your support, together we will fuel cutting-edge research to rid the world of this most devastating disease.
Love you Mom. Thank you Don. And let's all beat this beastly disease.
Cheer Me On!