Already bored by the dog days of summer and you don't even have a dog? Tired of just "hanging out" at the mall with your friends? Want to have some fun AND make a difference? If you want more than just a so so summer, keep reading and see what some local teens are doing to make this summer one to remember.
Erin Mross and Claire Makinen, used a summer birthday to raise money to fight a deadly disease. Both teens have grandmothers named Dorothy that suffer from Alzheimer's disease. When Erin and Claire decided to host a combined slumber party for their 16 th birthday, the girls came up with the idea to ask their guests to donate to the Alzheimer's Association instead of bringing a gift. Not only was the party a blast but they raised more than $200 to help fund education and research to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Another successful group of teens, Teens Who Care or TWC as they like to be called, have joined up to walk in this year's Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk ® on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at Denver's City Park. Teens Who Care was formed by sophomore Jacquelyn Palmer in honor of her grandmother, Rebecca E. Bouquet, who died from Alzheimer's disease.
As a caregiver for her grandmother, Jacquelyn Palmer of Centennial experienced the impact of the disease first-hand. Jacque joined her mother for the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk in 2007. "There were only about six or seven of us. Not a lot, but enough for my grandma to smile down at my mom and I," said Palmer.
For the 2008 Memory Walk Jacque, who is the team captain for TWC, enlisted the help of 11 of her friends from Grandview High School - all freshmen and sophomores. To get them started, TWC collected money outside a local King Soopers this past spring. And that's only the beginning of raising pledges for this year's walk in September.
"My grandma had Alzheimer's for eight years and my mom and I had to help take care of her. I wanted to start TWC so teens who know what Alzheimer's is stand up and become champions and try to end the disease," said Jacque.
Here are some other ways to turn your summer fun into "fund raising":
§ Set up a Lemonade stand
§ Host a movie night at home and ask friends to donate "admission"
§ Work for extra money by offering to mow the neighbor's grass or walk their dog
§ Host a Guitar Hero video game marathon and charge an entry fee, offer a prize
§ Collect recycling and donate the proceeds
§ Organize your team and "Flamingo" your neighbors, friends or church youth group (learn more online at http://www.hallowellhurricanes.org/Krehbiel%20Pink%20flamingos%20invade%20yards%20for%20cause.pdf)
The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk ® is a grassroots fundraiser in which volunteers of all ages become champions in the fight for a world without Alzheimer's. Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer education, counseling, support groups, 24-hour Helpline and research to find better treatments and eventually a cure for this fatal disease. More than 7,000 people will gather pledges and come out to walk in support of the 65,000 people in Colorado who are living with Alzheimer's disease. Since 1989, Denver Memory Walks have raised nearly $6 million; statewide, Colorado Memory Walks have raised more than $10 million dollars. For information call the Alzheimer's Association at 303-813-1669, the Helpline at 800-272-3900, or visit
www.alz.org/co.