Thank You For Making Rhythm & Brews Beach Bash a Success

Friday November 11, 2011, a first time event was held in Stevens Point
'Rhythm and Brews Beach Bash' fundraiser for Alzheimer's Association washeld at Players Lounge.  


Thirty different beers were there to taste, along with 7 different wines, and a couple of malt drinks.  We had fabulous food and Cadillac Pete and the Heat featuring Harold 'guitar' Ludtke.

There was an endless table of great silent auction items and a 50/50 raffle.  A great time was had by all.


We are already in the planning stage for 2012's Rhythm and Brews Beach Bash so watch for details, you don't want to miss out on a great time while raising money for an
important cause, 'Alzheimer's'.

Contributed by Lori Schuler; Marketing and Activity Director

for Central Wisconsin 

Rhythm & Brew Beach Bash Debuts Players' Lounge in Stevens Point

The Alzheimer’s Association proudly announces the newest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer  care support and research.  It is the 1st Annual Rhythm and Brew Beach Bash with live music, plenty of food, and a beer and wine tasting extravaganza.  The music by Cadillac Pete and Heat, featuring Howard ‘Guitar’ Ludtke, is a local blues band.

The event will take place here in Stevens Point, Friday, November 11, 2011, and will be held at the Players Lounge, 2124 Rice Street, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  Tickets will be $30.00 in advance and $35.00 at the door. Rhythm and Brews Beach Bash is brand new to the Stevens Point area and we are so pleased to make it an annual event!  A strong team of community volunteers has been working hard at planning, selecting ‘craft’ brews, wine, gathering prizes, lining up music, and selecting a tasty menu for our guests.

We invite you to be a part of this fundraiser and support the efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association of Stevens Point. In addition to monetary sponsorships for this fundraiser, we welcome in-kind donation of services, food prizes, or silent auction items.  All contributions, great or small will help defray the costs of the event, allowing the proceeds from ticket sales and the auction to go directly to the local programs and services provided by the Alzheimer’s Association. 

Your support is needed to help ensure the success of the year’s event.

Alzheimer’s is the nation’s sixth leading cause of death and affects 5.4 million people today.  Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050.  Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease. This event brings awareness to this overwhelming disease and raises needed dollars for care, support and research for those in our community. 

When Alzheimer’s touches your life the Alzheimer’s Association is here for you.  Alzheimer’s disease is a frightening diagnosis to face. Wherever you are, Alzheimer’s Associations are nearby with community programs and support services.  Anytime day or night, call them for reliable information and support.  Online guide helping individuals and families find the right care options locating licensed facilities in your area when placement of loved one is needed.  Alzheimer’s Association library provides a variety of research and reference services.

We are determined to end this disease and provide support for those affected now and in the future.  Attend the Rhythm and Brew Beach Bash or support the fundraiser and unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions.  Together, we can raise awareness and funds to enhance Alzheimer care and support.

To purchase tickets or donate contact us at the following phone numbers:

715-393-3950

715-295-0650

Donation, ticket and event information can be found on the Alzheimer's Association - Great Wisconsin Chapter or Point Players Lounge

Feel free to distribute the poster featured above. After you click on the image you can either download it to your computer and distribute as an email attachment, embed it in an email or print for display in your community.

Area Walk to End Alzheimer's raises more than $17,000

The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking.  The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk.

~Mark Twain

Saturday, September 17th: the day we've been looking forward to and training for when area walkers, volunteers and teams gathered for the start of the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's. This year's event was a great success and helped raised more than $17,000 for local programs of the Alzheimer's Association.

Central Wisconsin Senior Living was proud to host this year's event with Harmony Living Center. The Walk was led for a community volunteer committee that included CWSL's Kelly Opiola and Lori Schuler.

                                 The Spirit Award was presented to the Sky Club Team.
                                                     Never, Never, Never, Give Up!


"There has never been a greater need for residents to join in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," said Diana Butz, Alzheimer's Association development and marketing director. "As many as 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and funds raised will provide support services to the residents of this area living with Alzheimer's. The level of support shown by the Stevens Point community for the Alzheimer's Association is truly amazing."


Donations are still being accepted. You can contact Kelly Opiola at Central Wisconsin Senior Living or visit the Alzheimer's Association web site at www.alz.org/gwwi and click on the Stevens Point Walk to End Alzheimer's link or click here.


If you are interested in joining the 2012 Planning Committee contact Kelly Opiola at Central Wisconsin Senior Living.

Cinnamon and Alzheimer's

Plants have a long history as a rich source of new compounds for drug discovery. Cinnamon is widely used by humans, both as a spice and as a traditional medicine. It is, perhaps, one of the oldest herbal medicines, having been mentioned in the Bible and in Chinese texts as long as 4,000 years ago.

Previous studies have already demonstrated the potential for herbal extracts to interact with beta-amyloid, and perhaps slow down or even prevent AD. As we move towards earlier identification of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in minimally symptomatic individuals, such therapies will undoubtedly become areas of intense research. Examples for extensively studied naturally occurring compounds are the (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea and Curcumin, which is derived from the natural turmeric.

Now, a research team headed by Michael Ovadia from Tel Aviv University, has isolated one of the ingredients in cinnamon, CEppt, and used it in a series of tests conducted on two-month-old lab mice that were raised with five aggressive strains of Alzheimer’s-inducing genes. The experiment’s results, recently published in the PLoS ONE scientific journal, were impressive. Laboratory rodents, genetically altered to develop dementia, received either the cinnamon extract or an inert treatment for four months. The extract improved the rats’ performance on learning and memory tasks. It also reduced the amount of plaque formed in the brain. The animals were fed drinking water containing a CEppt solution over four months, and researchers found that the disease’s development was delayed, with additional trials showing that existing amyloids had been dissolved. The results show the ability of CEppt to inhibit the progress of beta-amyloid aggregation. CEppt is actually comprised of several molecules, and it remains to be found which molecule is exerting this effect.

Supplements such as Curcumin, EGCG, DHA and CEppt will likely be evaluated in clinical trials in patients who have minimal symptoms, but are on the path towards developing AD. That is, patients with amyloid building up in the brain, but not yet showing symptoms as assessed by Amyloid scans (for example. From studies such as ADNI, we believe that there is a 15 year window during which amyloid is building up in the brain, while there are minimal symptoms, such as memory loss present. This window may be the best time to initiate anti-amyloid therapy.)

Anat Frydman-Marom, et al, Orally Administrated Cinnamon Extract Reduces ß-Amyloid Oligomerization and Corrects Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease Animal Models; PLoS One Jan. 28, 2011

Michael S. Rafii, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, Memory Disorders Clinic
Associate Medical Core Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study
University of California San Diego

This post originally appeared in Alzheimer’s Insights, an ADCS Blog.

Source: http://blog.alz.org/cinnamon-and-ad

The End of Alzheimer's Starts Here

The Alzheimer’s Association has proudly announced the new name for its annual Memory Walk, the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care support and research.  Now known as the ‘Walk to End Alzheimer’s’, our new name captures the energy and strength of our participants, volunteers and donors, and the momentum of our cause and vision that drives why we participate.  The event will take place here in Stevens Point, September 17, 2011.  

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is held annually in hundreds of communities across the country, this inspiring event calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Thousands will come together to support the work of the Association raising critical funds for education, counseling, support groups, the 24-hour Helpline and research to find a cure.  Each event offers a unique environment of inspiration and comfort as loved ones and friends living with Alzheimer’s are honored and remembered. This year, more than 200,000 participants will Walk to End Alzheimer’s, by teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Association, you can walk with a purpose – and move us closer to a world without Alzheimer’s. 

Since 1989, Alzheimer’s Walks across the country have raised more than $300 million to help those battling Alzheimer’s disease.  Stevens Point raised almost $11,000 and had 100 walkers attend in 2010.  Every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050.  Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.

When Alzheimer’s touches your life the Alzheimer’s Association is here for you.  Wherever you are, we’re nearby with community programs and support services.  Anytime day or night, call us for reliable information and support.  Online guide helping individuals and families find the right care options.  Help in locating licensed facilities in your area when placement of your loved one is needed.  Our library provides a variety of research and reference services. .

I challenge this community to ‘Lead the Way’ and help us change the course of the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death.  Be a part of something big.  Start a team, join the movement and reclaim the future for millions of Americans.   We are determined to end this disease and provide support for those affected now and in the future, and we are committed to advocating for the 5.3 million people with Alzheimer’s until there is a cure.

Together, we are an unstoppable force against Alzheimer’s.

Join us:  www.alz.org/gwwi/ or call 715-393-3950

Lori Schuler is activity and marketing director for North Haven Homes

Alzheimer's Awareness

Many people’s lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s disease and most of us don’t know much about the disease or the impact it will have on our lives. It isn’t always easy to find the answers about Alzheimer’s disease, and at times you will feel frustrated and confused. Families and loved ones can come together and focus on what they did have instead of what they don’t have. ‘Celebrate’ today and its memories, and make each day the best, with no regrets.

Having a family member with Alzheimer’s disease is not a cause for shame or a reason to hide away. We still don’t know why someone gets Alzheimer’s disease or how to cure it. We do know that Alzheimer’s disease causes brain damage. Alzheimer’s changes how people think, talk and act and changes their inability to perform daily living skills, and their short and long term memory. People in middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s need full-time care.

Many times family and friends don’t notice the changes at first. We tend to make excuses for the small changes. Memory loss is not “just a part of getting old.” The first signs you may notice: misplaced items, starting something and forgetting to finish it, hard time keeping up with tasks typically done every day of adult life. Another clue may be if your loved one stops doing things they have always enjoyed because they may be worried that their friends will see they are not their normal self. This is a good time to see a doctor and find out what is going on. It takes a doctor with special training to find the cause of memory loss.

Let your loved one talk as much as possible try not to give answers during the talk with the doctor. The doctor may ask questions about:

• When the changes first started
• What changes you and your loved one have seen
• How both of you are coping with these changes

You will want to ask a lot of questions:

• What are some reasons for the changes noticed
• What medicine helps with memory loss
• Is there help to pay for the medicine
• Is it possible to still live at home
• Is driving still safe
• What services does the community have to help with care

Ask the doctor to talk plainly to you and write down notes to remember the information.

Alzheimer’s disease is a frightening diagnosis to face, and yet, many find relief in knowing exactly what they are dealing with.

Your local Alzheimer’s Association Chapter can help you through their 24-hour helpline:  call 800-272-3900, web site: www.alz.org.   

Lori Schuler is activity and marketing director for North Haven Homes