CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Two healthcare communities in Clarksville have put together plans for a special event Friday, Aug. 14. It’s the Alzheimer’s Parade & Donation Drive-Thru, being organized by Ahava Healthcare of Clarksville and Brookdale Clarksville Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care.
Lineup for the parade will be at 12:30 p.m. at the old Premier Medical building 2199 Memorial Drive. The parade will start at 1 p.m. at Brookdale, 2183 Memorial Drive, and make its way down Memorial Drive to Ahava at 111 Ussery Road.
Marie Eppes with Brookdale said everyone is being encouraged to decorate their vehicles as well as well as dressing themselves in purple which is the color of the Alzheimer’s Association. Eppes said residents from both communities will be cheering on the parade.
She emphasized that the parade is for driving through and encouraged participants to stay in their vehicles as much as possible. They are also asking the public not to come by to watch the parade because they want everyone to be as safe as possible.
“The idea is to bring some fun to our seniors. They enjoy these parades, a lot of them are not able to see their families in person. It’s really a dual purpose, we want to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, and we want our seniors to get to see their loved ones,” Eppes said.
Other senior care communities, family members, first responders, church groups, sports teams, schools, and more are invited to be a part of the Alzheimer’s Parade & Donation Drive-Thru.
Eppes added if you don’t want to participate in the parade but would like to make a donation you can drive through either Brookdale or Ahava between 1:45 and 3 p.m. and donate.
Staff members from both facilities will have collection buckets and you can make donations from your car with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association.
One in four Americans are affected by Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia. The average lifespan of someone with Alzheimer’s is 12 years, which is 12 years of forgetfulness, 12 years of not recognizing family members and friends.
Each year the Alzheimer’s Association hosts their Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Clarksville and this year’s walk is scheduled for Sept. 26. Amber Malone with Ahava says unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event is going to be different, and it’s being called a hybrid walk.
Malone said half of the event will be virtual with a morning opening ceremony online. Following the ceremony, there will be a Promise Garden for viewing only, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. which will be in the Valor Pavilion area at Liberty Park.
“We are still encouraging everyone to walk. You will be able to view the opening ceremony at 9 a.m. on your phone, your computer, or your iPad and then kick off your walk with your family, your friends or your business,” said Malone.
For more on the Alzheimer’s Parade & Donation Drive-Thru go to Clarksville Alzheimer’s Parade on Facebook and for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s visit, alz.org/Clarksville. You can also call Amber Malone at Ahava at 731-514-2110, or Marie Eppes at Brookdale at 931-645-6945.