Sisters and Friends Join in Fight to End Alzheimer’s Disease
Sisters of Charity, BVM formed a team of over 20 walkers this year, including sisters, staff, family and friends, as they joined in the Dubuque Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 12.
BVM Human Resources Representative Connie Palm, who served as team captain, says, “We have been focusing on growing the sense of community among our employees and fostering the core values of the Sisters of Charity—freedom, education, charity and justice—among staff. Participation in the walk was just a natural outflow of the work they do with the sisters.”
A root beer float fundraiser at Mount Carmel a week earlier helped raise awareness of the walk and brought sisters and staff together to support the cause. Resident sisters who could not participate in the walk weren’t left out; they walked in spirit with the team and tracked their personal fitness center activity, earning purple ribbons as they accomplished their goals.
The BVM team raised over $2,400, surpassing their goal of $2,000. Lou Anglin, BVM shares, “Alzheimer’s is such a terrible disease that touches so many. It’s so important that money continues to be put towards finding a cure. It’s also critical that we continue to support people with the disease as well as their caregivers.”
Other BVM sisters participate in the Religious Orders Study (the “Rush Study”) based at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. They engage in yearly medical and psychological evaluation and have agreed to the donation of their brains after death for research.
BVM Vice President Mira Mosle says, “Our sisters, associates and staff witness daily the tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the participation by many of our sisters in the Rush Study’s scientific search for a cure, our participation in this walk enables more resources to be channeled for education, support and research initiatives. We are grateful for the support of so many who participated in our Mount Carmel team, and the hundreds of persons who turned out to walk for a cure.”