Twenty-five seventh grade students from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Dyker Heights, refuse to back down from the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
To date, they have raised over $1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Association under the guidance of Terry Cusmano, catechist at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
“This very tragic illness causes severe memory loss,” said James Brischetta, 12. “I am proud to be a helping member and to be able to collect donations to push forward a cure. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s, which gives me a perspective of how it feels to have a loved one not even know your name. I will continue my work with the Alzheimer’s Association as an ongoing community project.”
Recently, the group participated in a Summer Stroll to raise funds.
“I had a wonderful time at the Summer Stroll,” said Andrea Tammaro, 13. “In spite of the heat, I liked walking around and meeting people. I also liked how many people seemed interested in a cause that is not very popular. It was worth volunteering at the Summer Stroll to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. The money raised can improve people’s lives that have the disease and someday find a cure for such a horrible disease that effects so many families.”
The youth who partook in the fundraising efforts were: Nicholas Morante, Sean Dougherty, Jose Quintuna, Victoria Morante, Brischetta, Tammaro, Kenny Sierpe, Shane McGouran, Catherine Santora, Jillian DeMasi, Serena Nastasi, Eryica Bernal, Carmela Schirripa, Serena Crowder, Justin Warych, Maria Trizzino, Jennifer Romero, Michael Monetti, Antonio Monetti, Gabriella Giammarco, Christina Giammarco, Ritamarie Pepe, Lucia Pepe, Alfredo Gutierrez and Frank Gutierrez.
An Alzheimer’s Brooklyn walk will take place on Sept. 22, at the boardwalk in Coney Island. Refreshment will be served along with valuable information about this disease. Check-in will be at 9 a.m., the opening ceremony will start at 10 a.m. and the walk to end Alzheimer’s is at 10:30 a.m. For more details, please visit our web site at www.alznyc.org/walk. For a 24-hour helpline, call 800-272-3900.
