Friday, May 3, 2024
Sounds of rolling dice and shouts of “Bunco!” filled the American Town Hall on Tuesday night as more than 50 female residents tried their hand at becoming the official Bunco queen of Hood County.
Lindsay Lopez, clinical liaison for Concho Hearts Hospice, sets up a charcuterie display for the Bunco for Brain Health event on Tuesday night, where proceeds benefitted the Alzheimer’s Association.
Marketing Director for Bridgewater Memory Care Jory Rickman, standing, gives instruction to fellow Bunco players, while other teams get in the zone.
Sounds of rolling dice and shouts of “Bunco!” filled the American Town Hall on Tuesday night as more than 50 female residents tried their hand at becoming the official Bunco queen of Hood County.
Hosted by Bridgewater Memory Care, the Bunco for Brain Health event was created to raise money for the North Central Texas (Fort Worth) Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“I was at a meeting the other day — I'm gonna get a little choked up — and they said, one out of three people (receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis) so look to your left and look to your right,” said Jory Rickman, marketing director for Bridgewater during the event. “Unfortunately, some days I think I'm the next one. A lot of people have been touched by that — family members, and people you know — so this is a very important cause, and I love you all for being here.”
Tickets to play were $20 each and there were also several silent auction items available for attendees to make bids on for purchase, with 100% of those proceeds also benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association.
Jordan Craig, The Longest Day manager for the North Central Texas Alzheimer’s Association, also spoke at the event, encouraging attendees to participate in The Longest Day this June.
“Basically, The Longest Day is like a DIY peer-to-peer group fundraising where you do your hobby and enjoy your hobby,” she said. “It honors caregivers and people living with Alzheimer's because every day can feel like the longest day, so that's where it got its name.”
The Longest Day, known as the summer solstice, takes place in June every year. It’s the day of the year with the most sunlight and is dedicated to “fighting the darkness of Alzheimer’s through fundraising activities,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association website.
The host of the Bunco for Brain Health event was Bridgewater Memory Care. Located at 900 Autumn Ridge Drive, Bridgewater is an assisted living facility that focuses on Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
“We were the first freestanding Alzheimer's assisted living in Granbury,” Rickman said. “The building is architecturally designed with an open base system. It's secure, and safe, and (residents are) free to walk and roam around the building.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
The Alzheimer’s Association addresses the crisis by: providing care and support to individuals facing Alzheimer’s through its free 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900), education programs, and support groups; accelerating research and creating a path for global progress; and by recruiting a nationwide network of advocates to ensure its message about care, support, and research is heard at every level of government.
For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org online.
