Charity Event

Residents at the Cordwainer in Norwell, a community for people with memory loss, are raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association.Resident Barbara Dunn said they are taking part in a number of fundraising efforts.”We did the car wash with the high school students and that was lots of fun,” Dunn said.Dunn added that residents are raffling off a Bruins jersey and said she especially enjoyed taking part in a recent lemonade stand.”It was fun, and everybody was so nice,” she said.Jennifer Hoadley from the Alzheimer’s Association said community support is vital.She said the money being raised by the Cordwainer community is going toward the South Shore Walk to End Alzheimer’s, an annual event that supports families and funds research for new treatments.”Some of the research is medications,” Hoadley said. “But, some of it also is (researching) different ways to support caregivers.”Dottie Bernasconi is the primary caregiver for her mother who has vascular dementia and lives at the Cordwainer.Bernasconi is a top fundraiser. She said she knows how pressing the need is.”We have to do all we can for Alzheimer’s,” Bernasconi said. “I’m a baby boomer, and we’ll all be aging in, and there’s a significant amount of volume of baby boomers in this country. It’s very important to get the knowledge out there and, you know, to get people involved in helping to put a stop to it.”The most recent fundraising event held at the Cordwainer was called the Walk with Me Marathon.Those living at the Cordwainer completed loops around the hallways with loved ones.Program director Somita Ray said the Walk with Me name took on two meanings.”Not only about the race that we are doing today,” she said. “But, walk with me is kind of significant to walk with the residents throughout … this whole journey. So be there for them.”Find more information about the Walk to End Alzheimer’s here.