We Walk Because Love Never Forgets

It is officially Walk to End Alzheimer's season! Last night the Indy Walk had its North Side kick-off, which is the start of Walk season where Team Captains can come meet Association staff members, committee members, and other team captains, as well as share fundraising ideas and tips. The kick-off was held at Oobatz (which has really good barbeque chicken pizza, fyi).

Look at all those fundraising goodies!

I've been to different cause walks and events recently (I went to Race for the Cure with ESA back in March, and tomorrow we have a team at the Fishers Relay for Life, which I'll be writing about as well), but the Walk to End Alzheimer's always has a special place in my heart. In addition to walking in memory of Grandpa and Granny, it is the event that got me started on volunteering, got me involved in the Association, and allowed me to meet some awesome people who are dedicated to ending Alzheimer's. 

I've been team captain of my family team, Team Angel, for 4 years (this is my 4th Walk! Crazy). I started Team Angel in Lafayette, while I was still at Purdue. We did the Lafayette Walk for two years, and when Mitchell and I moved to Noblesville, we did the Anderson Walk. This is year 2 for us in Anderson. I'm also on the Indy Walk Committee, planning, marketing, and securing sponsors for it. 

I love Walk season and the Walk in general. It is the fastest-growing of the different cause walks and races, and last year, Indy was one of the top 30 Walks nationwide. The Walk does an amazing job of raising funds for the Association and raising awareness for Alzheimer's. 

There are 14 Walks in Indiana. In addition to Indy, Anderson, and Lafayette, they are also held in Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Jasper, Kokomo, Merrillville, Michigan City, Richmond, South Bend, and Terre Haute. If you're in Indiana and want to be a part of the Walk, there is one near you that you can be involved in, either by walking, volunteering, or planning. 

One of my favorite parts of the Walk, and one that makes me tear up every time, is the opening ceremony. When you check in at the Walk, you're given a promise garden flower in one of 4 colors, blue, purple, yellow, and orange. Blue flowers are for those who have Alzheimer's, purple are for those who lost someone to Alzheimer's, yellow is for people currently caring for someone with Alzheimer's, and orange is for people who may not have a direct connection to the disease, but support the Association's mission of a world without Alzheimer's. 

Promise Garden flowers at the 2013 Indy Walk

During the opening ceremony, someone representing each flower speaks about their connection to Alzheimer's. After that, people with Alzheimer's are asked to raise their blue flower in the air and hold it high. People with purple flowers follow them, and then yellow, and finally orange, so that every flower is lifted into the air (if there's a good breeze, they start spinning). When I volunteered at the Indy Walk last year, it was amazing to see 4000 flowers in the air at Military Park, signifying 4000 people who are in the fight to end Alzheimer's. I've seen 4 opening ceremonies now, and it still brings me to tears every year. 

I am so very proud to be a part of the Walk to End Alzheimer's, as a team captain and as a committee member. The Walk is an amazing event, and if you're interested in being a part of or supporting Team Angel, you can check out our team page here. We walk for a world without Alzheimer's. We walk for many reasons, but most of all, we walk because love never forgets. 

Give Hope

I remember when I first heard about St Jude Children's Research Hospital - I was in elementary school, and the Math-a-Thon for St Jude had been announced. You pledged to do a certain number of math problems, and family and friends would donate a certain amount of money for every math problem you completed (8-year-old me wants to know why they couldn't do a Write-a-Thon instead - I hate math). I remember watching the videos of children who were patients at St Jude and wanting to help them.

St Jude became a national project for ESA in 1972. St Jude is the largest treatment center for pediatric cancers, as well as one of the largest research facilities for childhood cancers.One of the great things about St Jude is that no child is ever turned away because of finances. If a child needs treatment for cancer, St Jude provides it for them.

In Fishers on Memorial Day, the Give Hope Ride benefiting St Jude takes place at Heritage Park. The ride originally started out of the home of John and Peg Wright in 2009, and has grown to almost 200 cyclists and over $12,000 raised for St Jude. It now takes place at Heritage Park in Fishers, instead of the Wrights' home.

This year, I joined the group of volunteers at the Give Hope Ride! I helped man the waiver table (very important when you've got a huge group of cyclists taking to the streets of Hamilton County) and helped cheer on the cyclists when they left Heritage Park and as they started to head back in.

What a good-looking group of volunteers!

This year had a record-setting group of cyclists leave from the park. There are four routes for the cyclists to take. The 9-mile Cruiser Ride leaves Heritage Park and goes through some subdivisions around Fishers - it's a good ride for families. There are then the Small, Medium, and Long Rides. The 24.1-mile Short Ride goes down by the Geist Reservoir and then heads back to the park. The 39.5-mile Medium Ride heads up into Noblesville with a stop at Forest Park. The last route - the 49-mile Long Ride - goes all the way up into Cicero. The exciting stop on that route was at Big Dog Smokehouse BBQ in Cicero - they opened up just for the Give Hope Riders to serve barbeque sliders! The Give Hope Ride also includes a kid's bike safety class.

Getting ready to take off!

Before they left Heritage Park, two local young adults who were St Jude kids spoke to the riders. One was a Northwestern University sophomore who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma as a kid. He took part in a research trial at St Jude that tested out a treatment that put him in remission with no side effects. That treatment is now the standard treatment for pediatric Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The second speaker, who particularly touched my heart, just graduated high school. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia at just 23 months old, after showing no symptoms except for a rash. After finding out from her pediatrician that her red blood count was at 87,000 (normal range is around 10,000), her family rushed her to St Jude, and she started chemo the next day. If her family had ignored her symptoms, she would have only had 6 months to live. 

Away they go!

St Jude saves lives. It was so touching to hear those stories from St Jude kids, and to see so many people out supporting the hospital and the lives it saves. I'm looking forward to volunteering at next year's Give Hope Ride!

Blondes vs. Brunettes: One Team United Against Alzheimer's

"Two sides, one team.

Alzheimer's Disease does not choose sides.

Alzheimer's Disease does not keep score.

Alzheimer's Disease does not play fair.

On the football field, we may be Blondes and Brunettes, but together we are UNITED as ONE team in the fight against Alzheimer's. 

We play for our grandparents, parents, and ourselves. We play because unless we change the course of this disease, it will take a devastating toll on the families of future generations. Game day will come and go, but we will continue to fight Alzheimer's Disease until we win. 

Alzheimer's disproportionately affects women, both as people with the disease and as caregivers. As an event created and played by women, Blondes vs. Brunettes sends a message of solidarity: We plan to meet this disease with energy and attitude. We are the generation that can provide both the fuel and the spark in this fight. We are Blondes vs. Brunettes, and we are a team united to tackle Alzheimer's Disease."

- Blondes vs. Brunettes Statement of Solidarity 

I've written before about my grandparents' journey with Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's is, hands-down, the most heartbreaking and devastating disease I have ever come up against. It is the worst feeling in the world to lose someone you love twice - once in mind, and then again in body. Alzheimer's can rob your loved one of everything about them - their memories, their personality, their voice - and their body will continue on as if oblivious to the fact that their mind is gone. Alzheimer's is the nation's 6th leading cause of death (although some research puts it just behind cancer and heart disease, because Alzheimer's is usually not listed as a cause of death - most Alzheimer's patients pass away from other complications, such as pneumonia or heart problems. 1 in 3 seniors does die with the disease, however.), and there is currently no cure and no good treatment option to slow it down. When you are diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you are diagnosed with a death sentence. There is no remission, there are no survivors. 

One of my biggest passions is fighting against Alzheimer's Disease. I'm involved with the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana's young professionals group, Great Minds, and have been a part of the Walk to End Alzheimer's for four years now. This year, I joined Team Brunette of the Indianapolis Blondes vs. Brunettes (BvB) game. 

Bru Crew at our first practice on May 4!

BvB is an awesome event. On June 28, at Eli Lilly's Colonel Field, the Blondes and Brunettes will take the field in a powderpuff flag football game. The game raises awareness and funds for the Alzheimer's Association - each player has to raise $250 to play on game day. Last year, BvB raised over $30,000, and this year, we hope to raise even more. 

BvB recruits young professional women (and men, who often join as coaches and volunteers) to tackle Alzheimer's. It's also not just an Indy event - BvB is nation-wide, with teams across the US (it began in Washington, DC). Alzheimer's disproportionately affects women - both as patients and caregivers. Women in their 60s are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's than breast cancer (Alzheimer's kills more people of both genders than breast and prostate cancer combined). Women are also more likely to be caregivers. BvB also helps raise awareness in general for younger generations - Alzheimer's is not just an "old person disease." When someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it affects everyone around them, and early onset Alzheimer's Disease can be diagnosed in people as young as in their 30s and 40s. Everyone is at risk for Alzheimer's Disease. It does not choose sides, and it does not play fair. 

I play in memory of my Granny and my Grandpa, and I also play so that no one will ever have to lose their loved ones to Alzheimer's Disease. If you so choose, you can donate to me here (a $20 donation gets you a ticket to the game and a beer on game day!). We're on our way to tackling Alzheimer's for good. Go Bru Crew!

Camp Riley, ESA, and Flowers

If you live in Indiana, you've probably heard of Riley Hospital for Children (also, I'm pretty sure that "Childrens" Hospital in The Fault in Our Stars is Riley, but that's just a guess). Riley does a lot of great things for children with chronic illness and injured children around the state of Indiana. They also have a summer camp program, Camp Riley, which is the state philanthropy for the Indiana chapters of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA). Indiana ESA is actually celebrating 50 years of partnership with Camp Riley this year, and there are signs around Bradford Woods noting places that were built or donated from Epsilon Sigma Alpha.

The pavilion by the lake is a gift from ESA!

Camp Riley takes place at Bradford Woods, located about half an hour from the south side of Indianapolis. Patients from Riley Hospital are taken to Bradford Woods for a recreational therapy summer camp. There are three levels of Camp Riley - Riley 1 (staff : camper ratio of 1:1), Riley 2 (staff : camper ratio of 1:2), and Riley 3 (staff : camper ratio of 1:3). One of the great things about it is that all Riley kids can go, regardless of disability or financial situation. No camper is turned away.

This Saturday, myself and 4 other members of my ESA chapter, Eta Pi, went to Bradford Woods to help plant flowers and help get the site ready for the summer camp programs. Bradford Woods is 2500 acres of trails, lake, facilities, and recreational therapy areas. One of the things I thought was so awesome about it was that everything is universally accessible, so that any camper with a wheelchair can access every place that a camper without a wheelchair can access. Their amphitheater has ramps for each level so that campers with wheelchairs can access every level, and the seats fold up so that campers in wheelchairs can navigate through each row. The pool is even wheelchair-accessible - the shallow end is 3' deep and the deep end is 4', and the camp has special wheelchairs that are designed to go in the pool.

Eta Pi members on the stage of the amphitheater!

We spent our time planting flowers, weeding, and edging flower beds along the main entry sign, guard post, the various signs along the road leading into camp, and the decorative whiskey barrels around the property. The Bradford Woods employees were always stressing that every little bit of landscaping service helps - it's hard to keep up with 2500 acres!

Our hard work at the front entry sign!

It was so very cool to get to see one of the places that Indiana ESA chapters do so much for. I haven't been a part of ESA for very long, but I've already heard so much about Camp Riley. We were talking about going back sometime in the summer to see all the flowers we planted in bloom, as well as to see Camp Riley in action. I know I had a great time, and I loved getting to see this place I'd heard so much about and that does so much good for chronically ill and/or disabled kids. I really hope to go back soon. It's such a great place!

We found a Camp Riley sign!

Live Passionately

I have been a bad blogger. I haven't posted in a long time (it's a bad combination of being busy and lazy). Many apologies - I promise to do a better job keeping up with this now.

You may have noticed that I changed the name and look of this blog. No worries, I'll still post about how awesome my job is (because it is and I have fantastic coworkers - I love that they are as nerdy or more nerdy than I am. I had a great Game of Thrones geek-out during lunch today), but I'm also going to be focusing on the other passion in my life besides writing - volunteering and helping others.

I've known for most of my life that I love to write and I love to help others. I chose to make writing my career, and I have enjoyed pretty much every moment of it. I love getting to do what I love every day. I've also known for a long time that I want to help others - which is how I ended up with a degree in Professional Writing and a degree in Psychology.

Team Angel in the 2013 Anderson Walk to End Alzheimer's

When you graduate from college and start working full-time, suddenly, you have a lot of free time that you didn't have before (for a while, I felt like I was forgetting something I needed to do). Once I got settled in to my big kid lifestyle, I realized I was bored. I didn't mind having time to read for fun again, or binge-watching on Netflix, but even binge-watching gets old after a while. I wanted to be involved in something - I've been a part of some kind of organization for most of my life, from church choir to Anderson Area Youth Chorale to band to Professional Writing Club, and it was weird that I now didn't have that kind of organization or group to be with.

Volunteering at Forget Me Not Night at the Pacer's Game

I decided to continue following my passion of helping others. I got involved with the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana, as a member of the Great Minds young professionals group, as a committee member for Blondes vs. Brunettes (an awesome flag football game that you should all go to on June 28 at Eli Lilly Colonel Field - oh, and go Bru Crew!), and as a committee member and volunteer for the Indianapolis Walk to End Alzheimer's and Team Captain of Team Angel in the Anderson Walk to End Alzheimer's. I've written about my Granny and Grandpa and their journeys with Alzheimer's before. It's a devastating, horrible, heartbreaking disease, and I love being involved with the Alzheimer's Association to help those that are affected by it and by being part of the movement to help end it.

Balloon Duty at the 2013 Indianapolis Walk to End Alzheimer's

I have also joined the Eta Pi chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a service organization. One of my good friends from high school is involved with ESA, and through her I pledged for the Eta Pi chapter last month. I haven't been a part of ESA for very long, but I already love it and the other members so much. ESA volunteers with Riley Hospital for Children, St. Jude, Easter Seals, and Eta Pi members work with causes that our members are passionate about as well.

2014 Race for the Cure with ESA

What I've learned in my first year of big kid post-grad life is to live passionately and love what you do. I'm blessed that I have a job and other organizations that I'm involved in where I can love what I do, whether I'm in the office or volunteering with the Alzheimer's Association or ESA. When action meets compassion, lives change, and I am so looking forward to being part of that change.