The Longest Day is an Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser typically held on or near the Summer Solstice, the lightest and the longest day of the year. Its purpose is to shed light on the darkness of Alzheimer’s disease, to raise awareness, and to also raise funds to fight this devastating disease. Longest Day participants raise funds through any activity of their choice on a day that works for them, and this year’s event will take place at Covenant United Methodist Church in Lock Haven on Sunday, June 22nd, from 2 to 4 p.m.
The participants of the Covenant Café, an early-stage Alzheimer’s activity group, have chosen to host a sing-along as their fundraising activity for the past four years. The Twisted Racquet Tears, a local string band comprised of seniors, offer their talents for free on a Sunday afternoon to play and sing for the public while raising money for this important cause through a free-will offering. The Twisted Racquet Tears are also the “house band” for the Music Jam held the first and third Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Clinton County Community Center for Healthy Aging in Lock Haven. The core group of the band met over twenty years ago while playing racquetball (hence the name) and added members to the band throughout the years. Current members include Bruce Wooley, Jim Gregory, and George Stefanski, all on guitar, Rose Reeder on bass, and Diana Andrus on mandolin. The band plays a variety of genres, including rock ‘n roll, country, gospel, folk, songs from the 40s and 50s, and original tunes. Lyrics to the songs are projected on a screen or the wall so that everyone can sing along.
The Alzheimer’s Association also sponsors an Alzheimer’s Support Group in Clinton County for families and other caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s and other memory loss diseases. The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m., also at Covenant Church. The support group has been in existence since the mid-80s and is facilitated by Fran Decker, a retired social worker. It was at one of those meetings in 2016 that a caregiver asked if there were any groups for people living with Alzheimer’s. The facilitator inquired with the Alzheimer’s Association and learned about the Memory Café program. The Alzheimer’s Association provided a guidebook on establishing such a program. Covenant United Methodist Church offered a space to hold the sessions, which then became the Covenant Café.
Covenant Café participants meet twice a month (1st and 3rd Tuesday from 1-3 p.m.) at the church to engage in various social, physical, and educational activities to help keep seniors with early-stage memory loss active and involved in the community. Although it is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association as part of their Memory Café program and held in other communities across the state and country, it is run entirely by volunteers. The program also relies on people from the community with various skills to do special presentations, crafts, and physical activities. New volunteers and guest presenters are always welcome. You can contact Fran Decker, Covenant Café Coordinator, at 570-263-2084 or 570-748-4302 to find out how to get involved. Families can also contact Decker to enroll their loved ones with memory loss in the program.
Because people living with dementia have changes in behavior, cognition, and relationships, which can lead to social isolation and depression, participation in the Covenant Café can provide many benefits, including mental stimulation, support, a sense of purpose and normalcy, and, most importantly, fun.
Donations for the Longest Day fundraiser can be made on the day of the Sing Along at the church or mailed to the Covenant Café, C/O Covenant United Methodist Church, 44 West Main Street, Lock Haven, 17745. Checks should be made payable to the “Alzheimer’s Association.” Proceeds from the fundraiser are used to ensure access to quality care and support for dementia patients, to advance research, and provide advocacy.
