VITAS staff around the country turned out to celebrate Alzheimer’s Disease Month by supporting their local 2004 Memory Walk, a three-mile effort conducted in various cities nationwide.

Wes Rogers, Coastal Cities’ Director of Admissions, Lee Gordon, Philadelphia’s Volunteer Services Coordinator, and Cheryl Hamilton, Central Florida’s Director of Admissions, all led their teams across the finish line.

Tammy Holden, VITAS Long Term Care Representative, Coastal Cities, serves on the board of the local Alzheimer’s Association, and is focused on promoting VITAS services within the organization. “Tammy’s marketing skills landed us some space on the promotional flyer as well as a prime display spot at the event,” said Wes. “All the other booth space was reserved exclusively for sponsors.”

“Our booth was next to the main Alzheimer’s Association booth, so we helped them serve hot dogs, chips and drinks to walkers crossing the finish line. We wore our VITAS jerseys, so it turned out to be a great opportunity to generate name recognition in the community,” added Wes.

The Coastal Cities team, comprised of VITAS nurses, social workers, VITAS representatives, a Team Manager, an Admissions Manager and Wes, raised nearly $1,000 for the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Coastal Cities team also partnered with the Sunrise Assisted Living team for the walk. “ Sunrise is our largest assisted living account in Southern California; we're currently serving eight residents,” said Wes. “We were proud to walk side by side with their team for a cause we both strongly believe in.”

As an added bonus, Wes approached many Hollywood celebrities who came to support the cause. “Although it was only for a few minutes, I managed to talk up VITAS to Leeza Gibbons, David Hyde Pierce (from the TV show Frasier), and Steve Edwards, a television anchor for a Los Angeles new station. They all were receptive to our message.”