The organization that wants you to remember everything had an informal and fun gathering from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Addamo’s tasting room in Old Orcutt.
Santa Maria’s Central Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is gearing up for its annual Waller Park walk, set for Sept. 26. To get everyone in the mood and to raise awareness of the awful degenerative brain disease, Area Coordinator Roy Allen and volunteer extraordinaire Karen Cordary arranged the event.
Addamo contributed a percentage of the guest checks to the Alzheimer’s group, which also sold raffle tickets to raise a little cash. About 80 supporters showed up. A couple not affiliated with Alzheimer’s popped in for dinner, sprang for a stretch of tickets, and ended up winning more than $500 worth of prizes!
Restie Alejandro, the head of volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Walk, lives part-time in L.A. and part time here. He stopped in for an hour before he had to catch a flight south. Joyce Ellen Lippman found it a snap to sell him raffle tickets.
CeCe Cruz-Arroyo will be in charge of food at the Alzheimer’s Walk: “I love shopping for food and cooking,” CeCe related over eggplant Parmesan. “I’m a natural for this assignment.”
This busy lady does more than shop and cook—she’s also president of the Lions Sunrisers Club.
Debi Flynn and husband Ed shared a table with friends and family. Another couple who came to support Alzheimer’s research was Terri Lee and Doug Coleman. These two don’t miss much. Terri Lee, executive director for the Orcutt Aquacenter, revealed that she’s orchestrating a fun event coming up in November.
Is it my imagination, or have I not seen LeRoy Cordero around town for a while? LeRoy’s zest for raising money and awareness for causes is more contagious than the flu. Alzheimer’s supporters, including moi, were delighted to see him behind the bar, pouring wine, laughing heartily, flashing his wide, signature smile, and generally entertaining guests. LeRoy was so much fun, the tasting room staff is lobbying to have him come back.
Gary Gross, a very active volunteer with Alzheimer’s, waltzed around the room like the Duracell bunny (he just kept going and going and going) selling raffle tickets. Gary is also president of the Night Time Kiwanis. With great pride, he told me the Kiwanis are looking forward to giving away $10,000 of the money they’ve raised this past year. This past Tuesday night, at a meeting at A.J. Spurs, it was official: The Kiwanis distributed all that money among four local projects.
A program called “Literature for Little Ones” received $3,500, so each local kindergarten student can get a brand new book on the first day of school. Gary said these books are as often as not the first books the children have ever owned.
The Kiwanis also gave the Alzheimer’s Association $3,500. The remaining funds went partly to the Good Sam Shelter (for sports equipment for kids living there) and to the Santa Maria High School Band (for badly needed uniforms and instruments).
For information about the Alzheimer’s Walk or about how to cope with the disease when it affects a loved one, call 636-6432. Educational materials and informational counseling are available.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Sep 10-17, 2009.