In 2021, I raised over $2500 to help find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, with your support! I learned how to swim laps last year, in honor of my Grandma Donna. I'm still swimming, still thinking of her with every lap. 

In 2022, I raised over $2500 by learning how to box to KNOCK this disease to the curb. I also FLOCKED lawns with purple flamingos for donations.

For 2023, the flamingos are back, and upgraded with high heels! These are FANCY FLAMINGOS! They will be ready to start roosting on lawns later this spring. 

Won't you help? Every dollar raised moves us closer to a world without Alzheimer's and other dementias. Donate today! 

8/3/2020 The Columbian https://clbn.us/43FbC

Christyna Hengstler looks out for a lot of people. When she participates in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Vancouver with her company team,1st Choice Advisory Services, she’s honoring not only her Grandma Donna, who lives with dementia in Southern California, but also many of her clients. 

Christyna’s job, connecting families with senior-living options and resources, gives her the opportunity to listen to many different families’ stories. Her tip for offering help to others, gleaned from her previous experience as a counselor? Ask: “May I share something with you?” before giving guidance or pointing to resources. If dementia is part of a family’s concerns, Christyna suggests they start with alz.org, where she first started. She continues to be amazed by all of the support options the Alzheimer’s Association offers, even locally in Clark County where she lives and works.

And what about when Christyna herself is feeling discouraged? She says she just remembers what Grandma Donna tells her: “All you need is a little bit of lipstick, and the rest will work itself out.” 

Christyna brings a variety of perspectives and resources with her when she talks to families trying to plan for a loved one with dementia. She has a master’s in counseling (worked with people with disabilities for 20 years) then worked in HR for a company that hires caregivers. About a year and a half ago, she joined1st Choice Advisory Services, a company that’s been around for 27 years, and now helps families connect to senior-living options and resources for free. Besides her work background, she has first-hand experience with dementia in her own family: her Grandma Donna.