Mark Applegate

is fundraising to honor:

My mom, her brother, their late mom (My Grandma), and everyone else suffering from this terrible disease.

Fundraising Progress

Mr. Mark A Applegate
of Goal
$150 Raised
$10,000.00
Make a gift!

I am

supporting the fight to end Alzheimer's

My Story

This year I will post SeniorAge Donation links and Alzheimer's Association Links separately and will tally them on each month on a Scoreboard that I will post on the Digitalcornbread.com website. If you donate to either of them, shoot me an email to mark.applegate@senioragemo.org so I can be sure the donation made it on the board! :)


Why this cause? Why dementia?? 


10+ years ago, at only 65 years old, my mom was diagnosed with what the doctor called a mild form of dementia.  We didn't know much about the disease at the time and were concerned...but things stayed stable for 5-6 years as best we could see. The topic kind of fell off the radar. Honestly, we had no excuse. Our grandma on the same side of the family had the disease. My mom's brother also developed the disease as well.  But we trotted on in relative ignorance...


Then about 3-4 years ago, things took a turn for the (much) worse. It came to a head one day when we were joking around about parenting and I asked mom to show my kids how she used to sound when she would call me in to get in trouble... You know...Mark. Allen. Applegate!!!, you get your rear in here right this minute!!!. We all use that little phrasing to express anger and urgency in parenting. It is parenting 101, right?!?!.  ;)  Well, mom refused even though she is and always has been a good sport. When pressed jokingly, then a bit more urgently, we figured out why she wouldn't? She couldn't remember my name. The trajectory continued downward and within months she, in order to be kept safe from wandering and harm in her home, had to become a resident of a local nursing home memory unit.  
We were able to visit mom almost every day and got to know and love many who have dementia among other conditions. The memory unit squad I refer to as The Sweet 17 were the 17 ladies with whom my mom shared a hall.  I have written extensively about my mom and them in my blog found at Digitalcornbread.com. Then came COVID-19. :(  Now with COVID-19 we are nearly a year removed from regular, face-to-face visits...but we are still doing what we can. My mom has been under hospice care for over a year now, but she is still fighting!! Can I do any less? 


I chose this date...the week of the Longest Day of the year because it is the date of the Alzheimer's Association's second-biggest fundraiser. I chose the event itself for 2 reasons: 1. Mom loves nature/outdoors, long walks, and adventure. 2. Mom loves to support the underdog. The one who people say can't do it. 


Please stand up to the darkness of Alzheimer’s and make a donation today to help the Alzheimer's Association and SeniorAge support all those facing the disease.  To learn more about these wonderful groups, visit their websites at senioragemo.org and alz.org. We WILL beat this thing and finally #EndALZ, or we'll go purple trying!!! 


Donation Note: I will be listing the two amazing non-profits links separately this year and will tally them all up on my scoreboard. :)

This donation area goes to the Alzheimer's Association. The donation page for SeniorAge is on my website found at Digitalcornbread.com on the Runnin' Til I'm Purple/4C4 tab. :)

 


Thank you very much!  Off we go! :)

The Power of a Donation

The dollars you raise fuel the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.

Add your name to my donor list today!

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Mail-in Donation Form

Thank You Donors!
In honor of Grandma Rodgers and Uncle Joe
$50
In honor of the lonely caregiver
$80
Mr. Mark A Applegate
$20