My name is Stacy Peyton and this is my 10th year as the team captain for Papaws Troublemakers. I lost my dad to Alzheimer’s in February 2013. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly after he retired in 2004 at the age of 63. He worked graveyard shift at the railroad for over 30 years to provide for his family. He was looking forward to his retirement and spending time with my mom. They wanted to travel the country in their new camper. Instead, this awful disease wreaked havoc on his mind and body, forcing them to give up the camping trips and their golden years as my mom spent her days being a fulltime caregiver to the love of her life. That’s my WHY!!

My mom used to say my dad would be a professional volunteer if he could. He volunteered for many years with the Watson Chapel Volunteer fire department in Pine Bluff. He then spent several years in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Reserve.  I started this walk team to carry on his volunteer spirit.  That’s my WHY!

I’ll never forget one day not long after his diagnosis he came to my house and he was so excited. He had heard about some new drug that looked promising. He told me “It’s too late for me, it won’t be ready in time but maybe one of these days it will help others”.  My daughters and I do a few different fundraisers each year for our walk team. Our biggest annual event is the Valentine Sugar Cookie Bake Sale. We’ve baked and decorated as many as 1,000cookies in a week.  We know our $1,000 isn’t going to cure this disease but we know we are doing our part to help so that one day we can see that white survivor flag raised high.  That’s my WHY!

I would love for you to join my team and help us lead the way to a cure!