You'll Never Walk Alone

"Walk on, walk on with a hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never, ever walk alone." 
- Elvis Presley "You'll Never Walk Alone"

I can't imagine a more fitting set of lyrics to describe the Walk to End Alzheimer's than those from Elvis Presley's "You'll Never Walk Alone." Thousands of people take part in Walks across the United States for hope - hope that a cure for Alzheimer's Disease will be found, and that by raising funds and walking together, we'll help find that cure.

My family has been walking since 2011, first in Lafayette and then in Anderson, when Mitchell and I moved to Noblesville. I've also been volunteering at the Indy Walk for the past 2 years. The Walk has a special place in my heart - it's the event that got me involved with the Alzheimer's Association, it's the event that helped me realize my passion for volunteering, and it's the even that aims to cure the disease that took my grandparents from me. 

Team Angel at the 2014 Anderson Walk to End Alzheimer's

I can't imagine a better way to honor my Granny's and Grandpa's lives than volunteering with the Association that vows to cure the disease that took them from me and my family, that stole their personalities and their memories. I was so glad that some of my ESA sisters decided to volunteer with me at the Indy Walk this year - I love that they were able to take part in an event that means so very much to me. 

Eta Pi is greeting and registering Indy Walkers

The Walk has also given me new friendships and opportunities to give back by getting involved with the Greater Indiana chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. I've gotten to know so many Association staff members that are just as passionate as I am about ending this disease. I found Blondes vs Brunettes and a whole group of fantastic young professional women who are dedicated to fighting Alzheimer's. 

Just a few of the awesome Association members I've gotten to know through volunteering

I really don't have words to describe the pain that Alzheimer's causes. It doesn't just affect the person diagnosed - it affects their entire family. Caregiving is often a thankless, difficult task - Alzheimer's patients often need round-the-clock care to keep them from wandering away, to keep them happy, to keep them healthy as long as possible. It's so very hard to care for a loved one that doesn't remember who you are anymore, and who may not even act like themselves anymore. 

My family adopted a team motto for this year's Walk, and we even had it placed on our team t-shirts - We Walk because love never forgets. Even in the darkest times of the disease, when even talking anymore is a problem, love never forgets. Even when I kissed Granny good-bye for the very last time, and her eyes opened and a flash of recognition appeared, and her hand squeezed mine, love never forgets. Even when Grandpa couldn't remember how he used to call me McGillicuty, there was still a hug for me whenever I visited because love never forgets. 

Every purple shirt, every Champions club medal, every message written on the Memory Wall, every Promise Garden flower raised high and spinning represents hope, love, and promise. A promise to remember, to honor, to care, and to fight until Alzheimer's is finished. And so I Walk until Alzheimer's is finished, and I know I never Walk alone. 

Fishing for Memories

It's funny how a place you've never been before can still bring up so many memories. I had never been to Minnesota before last week, never set eyes on Ida Lake and Little Sand Lake except in pictures. And yet, I spent most of the week reminded of my Grandpa.

A lot of time last week was spent fishing - trolling for walleye and northern pike, bobber fishing for large-mouth bass and blue gill, or any other kind of fishing you could imagine. The clear lake waters are full of fish, and if you cast into an area full of shady lily pads or reeds, it doesn't take long before your bobber goes beneath the water. It's a peaceful place - the lake is calm, the loons are calling, and the fish are biting.

Ida Lake at Sunset

My Grandpa loved to fish. He and my Grandma would go up to Michigan at least once a year and spend a week fishing, and he would go around to other lakes in central Indiana and fish with my dad and my uncles. His garage was full of fishing poles, tackle, and signs boasting about being the best fisherman (or how the best fisherman are also the best liars). When I think of fishing or boating, I think of Grandpa. 

Grandpa in his boat

It's funny how even though this was my first time in Minnesota, I spent a lot of time dwelling on past memories that didn't even take place in Minnesota. Mitchell teaching me how to cast sent me right back to standing in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard, clutching a kid-size fishing pole. Grandpa stood behind me, his hands on mine, telling me how to reel in, press the button, and release halfway through the cast. I wasn't very good at it then (I can happily tell you, though, that I was much improved at casting last week), but it's one of my favorite memories with Grandpa. 

Catching a 14" large-mouth bass and holding it high for the camera sent me back to standing on Grandma and Grandpa's couch in their living room, reaching for the mounted bass on their wall, fingertips brushing lacquered scales and open mouths. Grandpa was so proud of those fish that he and Grandma caught in Michigan, and I can't remember a time when they weren't displayed on their wall. 

My 14" large-mouth bass (and no, I didn't get it mounted)

Every text I sent my parents about fishing last week - from the fish I caught to the purple pole I bought - was responded back with how Grandpa would be proud and how he surely was smiling at me. He told Josh and I when he was teaching us how to cast that he'd take us fishing when we were older. He never got the chance to do that. 

Grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was in 7th grade. When his memory failed, he could no longer take us fishing, or load up the aluminum boat and head to Michigan for the week with Grandma. Fishing poles stood unused in the garage, tackle never came out of their boxes. No other fish were mounted on their walls with pride. Alzheimer's didn't just take his voice and his memories, it took away one of his most favorite pastimes in the world. 

I enjoyed Minnesota, and love the lakes and want to go back next summer. It also made me realize just how much I wish I could have gotten the chance to fish with Grandpa, and pose with a catch with him. I know he'd be proud of me, though, even if he's no longer around to tell me so. I fish for him, and I fight Alzheimer's for him. And I miss him every day. 

Support Team Angel and the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer's. 

Granting Wishes with ESA Eta Pi

Being a part of ESA has given me so many new opportunities to give back and volunteer in my community that I had either never thought of or never heard of. This weekend was one of those times where I got to take part in an event that I didn't know existed, or realized how large it was.

On Saturday, I and three other Eta Pi members took part in the Indy Walk for Wishes benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Most people have heard of Make-A-Wish, and how it grants wishes for children facing catastrophic illnesses, like pediatric cancer. Indiana is served by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana chapter of Make-a-Wish.

I had not heard of the Walk for Wishes until our philanthropy chair included it in the list of opportunities this month. This year was its 9th event in Indy and, as of this posting, had raised almost $141,000. The Walk took place at Fort Harrison State Park and brought together almost 2000 walkers! I had no idea it was such a large event, let alone that it was such a large event. There were tents for Buffalo Wild Wings, one of the local Indy radio stations, and local Indy news station Fox 59 (one of their reporters was the emcee for the event). The Colts in Motion (traveling museum of the Colts) and the Butler mascot, Hink, was also there.

Monica, Kate, Jessie, and I had a great time at Walk for Wishes!

The opening ceremony was so touching. A Wish family spoke about their daughter who had her wish granted after she had finished chemotherapy. She also cut the ribbon to get the Walk started. Right now, there are more than 800 kids waiting to have their wishes granted - and the Walk for Wishes raises money to help grant those wishes.

I saw several kids at the Walk with shirts that said "Wish Kid" or families with stickers emblazoned with "Wish Family." It was so touching to see those kids and families at the Walk - people we were actively supporting by donating and walking that day. I can't fathom having a child facing a possibly fatal illness, but I can only imagine getting the opportunity for that child to have a wish of theirs granted, whether that's visiting Walt Disney World, throwing out the first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game, or being a police officer for a day. I can imagine the hope that would bring, the morale that would be boosted, the way it would act as a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. And sometimes, that hope is what matters most.

Play Ball and End Alz!

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month! (This basically means I have been wearing some form of purple every day so far this month.) It is so important to spread awareness about Alzheimer's Disease - it's the 6th leading cause of death in the US, but it has no treatment and no cure, and it doesn't have nearly the research funding that cancer and heart disease, as well as other leading causes of death, have. Right now, someone in the US develops Alzheimer's every 67 seconds - if we do nothing, it will be every 33 seconds by 2050 (terrifying).

The Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana has been sponsoring events all month for ABAM. There are so many ways to participate and raise awareness! There are Dine-to-Donates set up across the state (visit the Noblesville Applebee's on June 24 to support Team Angel! Contact me for the flyer), as well as other events like CruZionsville and the Custom Car Revival in Indianapolis. You can also support your favorite brunette (hey there!) in the 4th Annual Blondes vs. Brunettes game on June 28 at Eli Lilly's Colonel Field. A $20 donation gets you entrance to the game, a free beer at the game, and entrance to the after-game celebration at the downtown Indy Kilroy's. It's going to be an awesome game (and the Brunettes are totally going to kick ass). We're well on our way to raising over $30,000 for Alzheimer's Awareness and Research!

Last night, the Alzheimer's Association sponsored an Alzheimer's Awareness Night at Victory Field for the Indianapolis Indians game versus the Durham Bulls. It was a gorgeous night for a ball game, and the Association had a table set up right at the entrance to Victory Field. They also had a prize wheel, where you could win Walk tattoos and stickers, as well as Walk t-shirts from last year.

Several of my fellow ESA Eta Pi members came to the Indians game! It acted as our June social and a philanthropy event - we were decked out in purple and had great seats on the third base-line. It was awesome to see people that were out in purple - either wearing Walk t-shirts, or Alzheimer's Association gear, or a purple hat or sticker - it showed that there are people in and around Indy that care about ending this disease.

Check out those awesome Eta Pi members!

I know I write a lot about Alzheimer's Disease, and I know I post a lot about it, but it is truly the most heartbreaking and gut-wrenching disease I have ever encountered. I know a lot of facts and figures, but in reality, those facts and figures really don't mean much when your Grandpa can't figure out that you're his granddaughter, or your Granny can't remember the last time you visited her even though it was just a couple days before, or when your loved one tells you to go away and that they never want to see you anymore. Alzheimer's doesn't just rob memories - it changes personalities, too. My Grandpa was always social and never knew a stranger - Alzheimer's turned him in to a quiet, solemn man. My Granny was a fiercely independent and silly woman - Alzheimer's took her independence and stole her silliness. Sometimes, the worst part is that the body carries on just like normal, unaware that the mind is slowly fading away. There's a very real possibility for a person to stay in the final stages for years. 

The mission of ABAM is a simple one: go purple and help us end Alzheimer's Disease. Join or form a Walk team, support BvB, or just wear purple and learn the 10 signs of Alzheimer's. Your brain and your memories matter, and are worth saving. Join the fight today. 

ESA Eta Pi Relays for Life

I'll be honest here: I had no idea what I was getting into when I offered to take over my ESA chapter's Relay for Life team. I had heard of Relay (it's a big deal on Purdue's campus), but I had never been to a Relay. I've seen pictures of the luminarias, and knew some people who did it when I was at Purdue, but I was kind of going in blind this weekend.

Eta Pi ladies at Relay for Life!

Relay for Life is an event put on by the American Cancer Society and takes place across the United States (there are four Relays in Hamilton County alone - Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel, and Westfield). Teams set up, usually at a middle school or high school track (the Fishers event was at Fishers Junior High School), and they are there for 24 hours - from 9 am the first day to 9 am on the second. Teams set up on-site fundraising to keep raising their team total, and one person from each team is supposed to walk around the track, so there are always a handful of people walking.

Our campsite! 

Tammy and Sue take a lap!

Our onsite fundraisers included selling popsicles - which were definitely frozen when I left my apartment that morning and melted in our cooler, so really we were selling cold, flavored sugar water - and a pie war. Our chapter name is Eta Pi, so we played off that name to come up with our Pie War. Relayers could donate $1-$5 to pie someone on their team. Their team member, however, could donate just $1 more to not be pied AND to pie the original person, so no matter what, somebody was getting pied. 

Jessie and Awal demonstrate excellent pie technique

The Pie War was a HUGE hit with the kids at Relay! Once we got our first non-Eta Pi member pied, they all kept coming back for more and to pie everyone they knew. We even had a couple kids who just wanted to keep being pied! We ended up raising $111 on-site with the pie war, and our total donation to the American Cancer Society was $271! 

These guys LOVED getting pied. They were our biggest donors!

While the Pie War was an awesome, fun event, the luminaria ceremony reminded us of why we were relaying in the first place. I write a lot about my Grandpa and my Granny and their battle with Alzheimer's, but seven years ago, I lost my Grandma to cancer. I loved spending time with my Grandma - she encouraged my writing from the beginning, and read everything I wrote, no matter how ridiculous it was (and I'm sure there were some ridiculous short stories in my middle school writing era!). She also taught me how to play Scrabble, and played with me every time I came over to their house. She was pretty much unbeatable, and I managed to do it once, but I'm pretty sure she let me win. I was devastated when she passed away, and I made my luminaria for her. 

Grandma Joan Elsten, December 7, 1932 - March 1, 2007

The Luminaria Ceremony was so very powerful. Luminarias lined the track. Even though the Fishers Relay is smaller than Noblesville, Carmel, and Westfield, and probably only had about 50 people there, there were easily double the amount of luminarias than there were Relayers. The Luminaria ceremony took place at 9:30 pm, when it was totally dark. Each luminaria held a lit candle, and everyone gathered in the middle of the track. A representative from each team read the names of the luminarias from their team, and then everyone took one silent lap around the track, surrounded by the flickering luminarias. In the bleachers, luminarias were used to spell out HOPE. 

 It's blurry, but you can make out "HOPE" in the bleachers

Eta Pi ladies with our luminarias

It was a long day, and I'm sunburnt, sore, and feel like I could probably sleep for a few more days to finally feel rested again, but I had a great first Relay experience! I'm looking forward to next year's Relay, and am excited to take Eta Pi's fundraising to the next level. Something that stuck with me was, during the Opening Ceremonies, one of the Relayers, who was also a cancer survivor, stated that "we Relay for many reasons, but the one thing we have in common is that we all Relay for hope, and we will never give up." I am so very proud of Eta Pi and what we accomplished this weekend, and it is so very true - we Relay for hope, and we don't plan on giving up. 

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!