25
THE ABINGTON s
c
t en
The Voice of The AbingTons
ON THE INSIDE Green Scene
Joshua Arp offers tips and tricks on how to keep your yard in tip top shape Page 2
Around Town
See what’s happening in our area Page 4
LTHS Honor Roll
Did your favorite student make the grade? Page 12
Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 348-9185 Fax: (570) 207-3448
SUBURBAN March 12, 2015
www.abingtonsuburban.com
A Rip ‘Roaring’ Good Time for a Cause Abington Heights Civic League presents Alzheimer’s fundraiser
Committee Members for the Abington Heights Civic League’s Roaring 20s Gala are pictured. From left, front row: Cheri Murray, civic league president; Gretchen Eagen, gala co-chair and second vice president; and Sue O’Day. Back row: Nancy Brojack-Jeschke, gala co-chair; Peggy Bormann; Michele Catania; Cathy Plishka and Susan Griffiths. Susan Burke, Michele Connor and Deborah Kennedy are also committee members.
by Stephanie Longo
ABINGTON SUBURBAN EDITOR
It was the era of flappers, speakeasies and “talkies.” Hoping to bring a bit of the Jazz Age to the Abingtons while raising awareness for Alzheimer’s disease, the Abington Heights Civic League (AHCL) will host a Roaring 20s Gala on Saturday, March 28, from 6-11 p.m. at the Country Club of Scranton. As television shows like “Downton Abbey” and “Mr. Selfridge” grow in popularity, event co-chair Gretchen Eagen said that the AHCL decided to put the 1920s twist on their annual Mardi Gras party. Gala attendees can dress in period fashion, if they desire, and black tie is optional “Everyone seems to be getting exciting about this theme,” Eagen said. “We have the feathers and the boas and we plan on having a good time.” Part of the good time, though, includes educating the public on Alzheimer’s disease, including warning signs and caregiving. Eagen herself is a caregiver for Alzheimer’s patients and, through her work, has witnessed how the disease progresses. The gala will feature recognition of loved ones who have suffered or are suffering from the disease in a way that will celebrate their lives versus focusing on their illness. “In education, you want to educate the community in a manner that will get the entire community involved,” she said. “By focusing on Alzheimer’s awareness, we’ve actually broadened the scope of what we call the ‘community’ as now the medical community is involved as well. We wanted to present this in a way to involve everyone.” “Alzheimer’s came about as a focus through a couple of different ways,” she continued. “Due to the fact that our population is aging and due to the fact that our education on Alzheimer’s is lacking, we felt it was a great way to give back in a multifaceted way. We want to teach about what the disease is, but also the care for it, whether it be medication, caregiv-
TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 03/11/15
12:37 | LONGOSTEPH
ing or a home and not only helping the individual who is suffering from it, but also helping the family and loved ones who are helping to care for that person.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and every 67 seconds someone develops it. Alzheimer’s is also the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. “People do die from Alzheimer’s, it is the progression of the disease that can kill,” Eagen said. “Because it is linked to your mind, it affects your bodily functions, that’s why people who have it have strokes and other things happen to them. You see a progression when you take care of someone who has it; they aren’t able to do the normal tasks that they were able to before they developed the disease. When you have a loved one or a friend who develops Alzheimer’s, the hardest thing for the person who has known them has been the change and grieving the loss of who the person was. Having the opportunity to cherish the moment as they are is so important; you get ‘gift’ moments with them that you can cherish.” Tickets for the gala are $40 per person. The
Roaring 20s Gala will also feature a wine pull, silent auction, live auction, a 50/50 raffle, a full buffet dinner and a cash bar as well as a photo booth with props. For tickets or for more information, call Eagen at 570-878-9795 or email geagen@yahoo.com. To have someone who is suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia recognized at the gala, contact Susan Burke at 570-586-8740 or at 570-498-3877.
“Due to the fact that our population is aging and due to the fact that our education on Alzheimer’s is lacking, we felt it was a great way to give back in a multifaceted way.”
— Gretchen Eagen