The Alzheimer’s Association, in conjunction with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ South Arkansas Center on Aging, will hold a celebrity basketball game this Friday, featuring local celebrities and professionals facing off to raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, scheduled for September.
“The basketball game is actually the kick-off event for the Walk. It’s to raise awareness, funds, donations, sponsorships — just everything all-around to push back into the Walk itself,” said Bethany Moore, event chair for the basketball game.
Thirty players will participate in the game, including local doctors, firefighters, police officers and even one member of the Arkansas Legislature, Sen. Trent Garner (R-El Dorado). Moore and event co-chair Nicole Yarbrough were particularly excited to announce that LB Crew, a recent finalist on “The Voice,” will also be playing.
“Right now we’re at 25 players. We’re going to top out at 30, so we’re going to have 15 on each team,” Moore said.
El Dorado Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer is the honorary chair for the event, Moore said. Emily Cole will open the game with the National Anthem. The game will also feature an all-star half-time show, with Crew slated to sing — only one song, though, since he’ll be back on the court shortly afterward for the game’s second half.
“Because he has to play, I promised him it wouldn’t be like a full-on half-time show,” Moore said smiling.
The Arkansas Razorbacks travel basketball team will play a scrimmage game during the half-time show against Team Clutch, a traveling team from Magnolia. The El Dorado High School varsity cheerleaders will be there to cheer everyone on.
The game is free to attend, though event organizers do intend to encourage attendees to sign up for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s or make a donation in whatever amount they are able to. Both individuals and teams may participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“We’re pushing for people to sign up for the walk, so we’re going to have volunteers at the front door and we’ll have walk sign-up papers there. It’s very simple — just your name, address, phone number, email,” Moore said. “It’s voluntary. If someone just says ‘no, I don’t want to sign up,’ then they could give a small donation and still get in. It’s not like we’re going to charge you $20 to get in; you could give a quarter and still get in.”
The game is being held to help raise awareness and funds for September’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association’s primary fundraiser, were money raised goes towards research on treating Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is an international event, with seven walks planned in Arkansas alone.
“We’re so used to these big races … this is a family-friendly walk, it’s not a race,” Moore said. “Nursing homes are encouraged to bring residents out, schools can bring kids out. Just like with the #TeamCorrie Paint the Town Pink, people can dress up … It’s all about what we put into it. We can make it as big as we want to make it.”
Currently, the Alzheimer’s Association is seeking corporate and individual sponsorships for the walk. There are multiple levels of sponsorship available, ranging from $500 to $10,000.
Moore said Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. For her, the fight to treat Alzheimer’s and all the different forms of dementia is personal — two of her grandparents had dementia.
“My great-grandmother passed about eight years ago with Alzheimer’s disease and at that point — I’m a nurse — and at that point, the only thing I really knew was that I wanted to find a way to help other people not to have to go through what she went through,” Moore said. “My grandfather was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, and that was something different and that made me go even deeper into trying to figure out what was out there and how could we figure out to better care for the people that have dementia.”
Seventy-nine percent of funds raised by the Alzheimer’s Association go toward care, support, research, awareness and advocacy for people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia; 15 percent goes towards fundraising efforts and only 6 percent is spent on administrative costs.
The UAMS Center on Aging has an emphasis not only on the aging population in need of care, but also the caregivers themselves.
“I saw my grandmother go so much downhill trying to care for him (her grandfather with Lewy Body Dementia), trying to find resources, what’s available,” Moore said. “There’s so much that can be done with the progression of cancer, and even to cure certain types of cancer — there’s nothing that can be done about dementia.”
The Alzheimer’s Association has several recommendations for those hoping to combat the potential development of dementia. They suggest not smoking, reading and learning often, regular exercise, using critical thinking skills, staying socially engaged, keeping one’s mental health in check, getting plenty of sleep, eating right and avoiding traumatic brain injuries.
To learn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/walk. There, one will be able to register for the walk, which is scheduled for Sept. 14. The walk is free to participate in. One can also learn more at the South Arkansas - Walk to End Alzheimer’s Facebook page.
The #EndAlzheimer’s celebrity basketball game will be held Friday at 6 p.m. in the Wildcat Arena at El Dorado High School, 2000 Wildcat Drive. Concessions will be provided by Kernal Mustard’s Hotdog Cart & Catering and attendees could win door prizes. The event is family-friendly.
To learn more, contact event chair Bethany Moore at 870-881-8969 or [email protected].
Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].