NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Probably all of us know someone who has been affected by Alzheimer's. One long day in June sees a big fundraising push for the Alzheimer's Association. One woman's proving helping out can come in all forms. You just need a little drive.
In late June, there's the summer solstice. It's the time of year in the northern hemisphere with the most sunlight. It's the longest day, you might call it. So what does someone do with the longest day?
"Can you drive everything in here?" I asked Melissa Cuthbertson, as she stood surrounded by motorcycles and ATVs.
"No, I would need Chris to be able to do that!" she laughed. "This is Chris Watts. This is my fiance."
Chris is the owner of the America's Motor Sports locations.
Really, some of these vehicles are familiar to Melissa. Her dad used to drive some.
"You need some of these vehicles to get through the roughness and terrain a ranch has," she said.
In fact, a lot of Melissa's favorite memories of her dad are from a place a little off the beaten path. The family had a ranch in Oklahoma.
"We had horses, we had cattle, we had donkey," she explained. "My dad was a hometown pharmacist."
A pharmacist running a ranch is an active life, and it was hard for Melissa when she noticed something was wrong.
"I said, 'hey dad, what would you like to eat?'" she remembered. "He couldn't tell me. It's those things that started to become unusual for him."
Melissa's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She often wears a pin of him over her heart.
"It was difficult to know somebody of such good health, a disease like this could take the life of somebody like that," Melissa said.
Today, Melissa's mother is at Clarendale at Bellevue Place. She is now living with dementia.
Women have a greater risk for developing dementia in their lifetime.
"I have three daughters," Melissa continued. "That makes me point to one of them and say, 'which one of us is going to get this disease?'"
Melissa wanted to do something. Across the country in late June, people do these The Longest Day fundraisers to benefit the Alzheimer's Association. People can do just about anything. They make a fundraiser out of whatever surrounds them.
About thirty motorcycle riders gathered at an American Motor Sports location on Saturday, ready to head out.
Melissa and Chris were hosting this motorcycle ride fundraiser. Riders were making several stops including Clarendale at Bellevue Place.
"We're gonna get on one of these!" a resident said, watching the motorcycles pull in.
"Just call me Speedy!"
This was called America's Ride to Remember Poker Run, done through the Tennessee Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Riders got a card at each stop. The best hand won. However, this was so much more than just a game.
"What we're doing is really honoring anybody who has this horrible disease, which my husband died of," Melissa's mother said, standing next to Melissa. "We're trying to gather friendship."
"Did you have a good time, mom?" Melissa asked.
"They loved this," her mother answered, referring to her fellow residents. "This is the best thing since I've come here."
A longest day well spent.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn't have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child's life. The story of De'Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone - through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.
- Rebecca Schleicher
