Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia?

If you don’t, the chances are high that you will. The Alzheimer’s Association says that more than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years.

Rather than let these numbers frighten, upset, or overwhelm you, use them as motivation to do something about this. If you’re inspired to take action, join Marjorie P. Lee as we commemorate The Longest Day next month.

What is The Longest Day?

The longest day of the year is the summer solstice. This year it falls on June 20. On that day, the Alzheimer’s Association and those who support it will use the additional hours of sunlight to fight the disease close to so much darkness.

The extra hours of daylight on June 20 will keep many of us awake a little longer than we usually are. Similarly, Alzheimer’s patients, their loved ones, and caregivers have little rest when it comes to the disease and the challenges that come along with it.

How Can You Get Involved?

For The Longest Day, the Alzheimer’s Association typically asks people to form teams who commit to 16 hours of consecutive activity. This is a fundraising activity where you can ask for pledges from companies and other community members. All money raised goes to Alzheimer’s care and research. 

When you form a team with your family and friends, you can choose whatever activities you’d like to do. Some people like charity walks, others like dance marathons, still others prefer a bowling competition. Anything is fair game, as long as you and your team commit to it from sunrise to sunset on the longest day of the year. You could even sit in silence the whole day if that’s what you choose. 

Once the sun sets, you can end your chosen activity and reflect on your day. While it’s certainly not the same as living with Alzheimer’s, you can take this time to think about how the disease affects so many people, as well as their caregivers and loved ones.

Ideas for Commemorating in 2021

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, your Longest Day celebrations might look a little different this year. Just because you can’t be in close proximity to others doesn’t mean you can’t still form a team and raise money for this excellent cause. Instead, get creative with your activity ideas. Everyone could log into a virtual call for the day and you could play games, do trivia, sing karaoke, or even have a Netflix watch party! 

You could have a cookie decorating contest where everyone gets to vote on whose cookie is their favorite. Or, if you’d like a bigger challenge in the kitchen, create a Chopped-style competition where you and your team are challenged to make a delicious dish using four or five seemingly unrelated ingredients. Then, try to describe your dish in the most appetizing way possible!

Will You Help Us Raise Awareness?

Here at Marjorie P. Lee, Alzheimer’s and dementia research is incredibly important to us. Professionals at our memory care center work diligently to provide the best, most compassionate care to our residents. Our memory care households are designed specifically to provide a safe, empowering living space for our seniors. We’re committed to making Cincinnati a dementia-friendly city, and that begins by encouraging people to join us in celebrating The Longest Day. Will you be celebrating with us?