It was a chilly and overcast fall day on Sunday, October 15 when the Suffern Rotary Club team rallied to support and participate in the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s”, the premier Alzheimer’s fundraiser in Rockland County and other walks across the United States. Captained by our former club President Bob Nachbaur, a dozen dedicated Rotarians walked to raise research funds towards finding the cure to this cruel disease. Unfortunately, many of our club walkers have close family members and friends that are afflicted or succumbed to Alzheimer’s Disease, and this made their commitment to the event much stronger.
In addition to our club’s walkers, the Suffern team had a booth that made available information pamphlets on joining the Rotary and included the description of its various community service activities. And all walk participants were able to grab water bottles to help quench their thirst during the day’s events. As usual the club was proud to display the inflatable Rotary wheel that attracted inquiring walk participants.
Our Suffern Rotary Club was not only very eager to participate in the walk, but we have done so with distinction on both a team and individual basis. On a team basis, the Suffern Rotary was the #1 fundraising team in Rockland County with over $30,000 raised (approximately $220,000 was raised for the walk). Also, two of our teammates ranked in the Top 10 individual fundraisers, with David Hendler being the #1 individual fundraiser in the county (over $20,000 raised).
And the accolades go on as the Suffern Rotary Club was the #1 Rotary fundraising team in the entire United States. On the personal achievements side, two of our team members ranked in the “Top 10” individual Rotarian fundraisers in the United States. As well, David Hendler was the top Rotarian fundraiser in the United States as a member of our Suffern Rotary Club team! The entire team and the club was pleased by our achievements and we hope to exceed the funds raised in the upcoming 2024 walk.
With the Rotary International’s Mental Health Initiative being a priority in the current 2023-2024 club year, the Suffern Rotary Club has made a tangible contribution towards increasing Alzheimer’s Disease awareness regarding this widespread mental health condition. And the club was proud of raising vital funds needed to seek the medical and therapeutic cures that hopefully will be realized in the not too distant future.
Our club is ready to join the Walk to Fight Alzheimers on October 20, 2024 to continue our efforts to support this important intitiative.
