What’s your favorite pastime? Golfing, playing pickleball, cooking, reading, gardening, playing tennis, biking, hiking? There are so many to choose from! Having a hobby or favorite pastime is important not just for enjoyment, exercise, or socializing, but also for your mental health. The same can be said for the endorphin boost you receive when you make a positive impact on someone’s day or life. Doing good makes you feel good.
What if you combined the two and made your favorite pastime activity a fundraiser to #ENDALZ? You can do just that through Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day campaign, where participants work to outshine the darkness of Alzheimer’s and all other dementia through a fundraising activity of their choice on any day that works for them.
Over the next several months, we will be highlighting ways you can turn a favorite pastime into a fun and charitable event, highlighting some events across the state as inspiration.
Join us for one of our activity-focused calls over the next couple of months where you can gather ideas with other enthusiasts on how to turn your passion into a fundraiser. Check out the schedule here.
This month’s first activity highlight is golf. According to the National Golf Foundation’s most recent survey, more than a third of Americans over the age of five engage with golf in some way.
For the past three years, Charles Poston has served as president of the Jamestown Civitans, a 50+ year old service organization serving Jamestown, N.C., which he has been a member of since 2014. While an annual golf tournament has been their trademark fundraiser for years, the benefactor became very personal to Charles and their title sponsor David Griffin Jr. in 2021.
Charles’ mother, a beautiful southern woman who once loved to golf and play tennis, and taught school in Siler City until her retirement, began experiencing signs of dementia while living in assisted living community. Following the pandemic, she transitioned to the memory care unit as her Alzheimer’s began to progress rapidly, to the family’s sadness.
This was Charles’ first personal experience with the disease, and as he shared his mother’s journey with others, he learned how prevalent the impact of Alzheimer’s and other dementia is on so many in his circle.
During his first year as president of the Jamestown Civitans, Charles asked the membership if they would be interested in making the Alzheimer’s Association the top benefactor of their annual golf tournament. It was a unanimous YES!
“My first introduction to the Alzheimer’s Association was during my mom’s diagnosis,” shared Charles. “They provided tremendous support and education to help us best understand and navigate this difficult journey. I also came to understand the tremendous impact it has on so many families, caregivers, and daily life, including our title sponsor D.H. Griffin Companies.”
David Griffin Jr., the current president of D.H. Griffin Companies, lost his mother Marylene while his father David Griffin Sr., the founder of the company, was in the throes of Alzheimer’s disease. “The deep connections to Alzheimer’s and other dementia made it easy to want to connect our beloved golf tournament to this important cause,” said Charles. In 2021, the Alzheimer’s Association became the leading benefactor of our D.H. and Marylene Griffin Memorial Golf Tournament hosted by the Jamestown Civitans.
“We partnered with the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter and their The Longest Day campaign. They provided us with support and communication that helped add fuel to the passion. The community support grew as a result, and we hope to raise $8,000 for the nonprofit at this year’s event,” shares Charles.
Sadly, Charles lost his mother and David Jr. his father last year. This year’s golf tournament will be a beautiful honor for both of them.
“While this golf tournament has been an annual fixture in the community for a while, it’s been a privilege to add a top benefactor to the event,” stated Charles. “Community service is what our organization is all about, but finding a cause that impacts many of our membership and is personal to the community has brought a greater connection and passion to it.”
LIKE CHARLES, WE ALL HAVE A REASON TO WANT TO OUTSHINE THE DARKNESS OF ALZHEIMER’S. Start planning your own The Longest Day Fundraiser today.
The Longest Day® is the day with the most light — the summer solstice. The Longest Day participants fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s and all other dementia through a fundraising activity of their choice on any day of the year that works for them. With sports tournaments, card games, parties, baking and more, participants raise funds to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association®. Join the fun today!
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 