These folks aren’t wasting away in Margaritaville with Joe Pinner. It’s the Palmetto Parrothead Club, and they’re raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that as many as 5.3 million people live with Alzheimer’s in the United States, and that every 70 seconds, someone new develops the disease. To continue working toward its goal of one day making this heartbreaking condition vanish, the Alzheimer’s Association relies on donations acquired through fundraisers – one of which recently took place at The Haven in the Summit, a Northeast Columbia assisted living residence for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

Margaritaville Night drew around 120 attendees, including family members of residents and supporters of the Alzheimer’s Association from around Columbia. Guests enjoyed a barbecue of hamburgers and hot dogs, margaritas from an outdoor tiki bar, music, and a raffle drawing that awarded several participants with gift baskets and gift certificates. The Palmetto Parrotheads, a local Jimmy Buffet fan club that raises money for local charities, presented a $5,000 check to the Alzheimer’s Association, and The Haven in the Summit raised approximately $1,000 from donations at the door and raffle ticket sales.

“While the assisted living residence holds fundraisers throughout the year, such as informative lectures on Alzheimer’s, this one provided an especially fun escape,” Haven director Lara Williams said.

“Everyone is touched by Alzheimer’s,” Williams said. “At this event, instead of coming in and listening to a doctor talk about Alzheimer’s, everyone gets to have a good time. Sometimes, you just need to get away from it for a little while.”

All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Alzheimer’s Association Columbia Memory Walk – one of the many walks being held nationwide this fall to raise awareness about the disease and generate funding for the association. The Columbia Memory Walk is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Donations received by the Alzheimer’s Association pay for research as well as a variety of programs, such as the brain health workshop “Maintain Your Brain,” a 24/7 helpline and referral services for Alzheimer’s patient care and housing. One program that’s especially important to the caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s is the respite grant program, which provides caregivers with up to $500 to fund outside care for the Alzheimer’s patient for a desired period of time.

For recipients of the respite grant program, the Alzheimer’s patient receives care in a preferred assisted living residence or care is provided inside the individual’s home. This allows the caregiver to take some time for him or herself and, as the program director for the Midlands chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Adelle Stanley, puts it, “breathe.” Stanley said that while caregivers spend time on household chores throughout the day, a person with Alzheimer’s will typically take naps during the day and stay up at night, making the caregiver’s job an exhausting one and the need for an occasional escape necessary.

“The money raised (at Margaritaville Night) means a lot for the caregivers who have been caring for people with Alzheimer’s day in and day out,” Stanley said. “Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is like caring for a four–year–old in an adult’s body. You have to constantly make sure they’re safe, and there are many risks involved.”

Margaritaville Night provided a fun evening for all, but each guest attended the event with a bigger thought in mind – the hope that one day Alzheimer’s will be eliminated completely.

“All we can hope for with the money that was raised is that one day we’ll turn on the radio and find out that there’s a cure,” Williams said.

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit www.alz.org.