Mission Awards recognize outstanding volunteers
On Wednesday, April 2, 2008 the 2007 Mission Awards were held at Elmcrest Country Club. The annual event recognizes individuals, businesses, and groups who have worked wholeheartedly throughout the year to MOVE the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association forward. Awards are given in eight selected categories: New Volunteer of the Year; Program Services; Advocacy; Fund-Development; Distinguished Service Club; Public Awareness; Volunteer of the Year; and new this year, the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk SuperSTAR, which serves to place greater emphasis on our signature event. Each award recipient receives an engraved glass sculpture indicating their special area of achievement.
Award winners pictured here (from left to right): Ric Swann of KZIA Z 102.9; Marjorie Teeter, Bev McCadam and Kathy Martin, Memory Milers; Don Caspers (representing Jerre and Mary Joy Stead); Debbie Jones and Anne Salamon. Not pictured: John McCalley, Senators Joe Bolkom and Mary Lundby, Gary Wicklund.
Fund Development Award: Debbie & Clay Jones, Jerry & Mary Joy Stead - CARES
Debbie and Clay Jones and Mary Joy and Jerre Stead are honored as our 2007 Fund Development award winners. Jerre Lee Stead, international business leader and CEO, and Debbie Jones, East Central Iowa Chapter President, each share a personal connection with Alzheimer’s as both their mothers battled the disease for many years. The two also share a common passion- to end Alzheimer’s disease. Debbie and Jerre recognize the importance of education and support for individuals and families currently affected.
After months of conference calls and emails, the team was clearly motivated and CARES - a Community for Alzheimer’s Research, Education and Support was born. They created CARES because they noted that two individuals alone cannot end Alzheimer’s, but a community can. Debbie and Jerre created CARES to motivate the people they care about in our community.
Soon after CARES was born, Clay and Debbie Jones and Mary Joy and Jerre Stead came together to create a Community Challenge where together, the couples would match leadership gifts of $2500 or more, dollar for dollar, up to $60,000. The Challenge was announced at last year’s Mission Awards and we are happy to share that our community answered. The community has achieved the challenge match established by Debbie, Clay, Mary Joy and Jerre, resulting in a combined total of $120,000 in new gifts of philanthropy to fund Alzheimer research, education and support.
Distinguished Service Club Award; Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club
The Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club has a special, collective connection to Alzheimer’s disease and the Association. Since 1997, their success in raising funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease in our community has been evident year after year. However, this past fall their achievements around the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk were heard nationwide! With a 42-member Memory Walk team and $6,312 raised, the Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club placed in the top 3 out of a field of 40 Parrot Head teams across the country. This extraordinary group continues to support our cause while they additionally work to support so many other important organizations throughout the year.
Public Awareness Award: KZIA Z102.9
KZIA Z102.9 receives the Public Awareness award this year. They assisted in promoting Memory Walk, our largest annual fundraising event, as well as our yearly Round to Remember Golf Classic. During morning, afternoon and evening drive times, East Central Iowans learned about our cause and our events through on-air interviews, public service announcements, website coverage, and auction contributions. The well-known employees donated personal, off-duty time to serve as emcees for multiple events this year. Their ability to win over a crowd with vibrancy and genuine passion helped to keep walkers MOVING mile after mile and golfers smiling even after a few divots. Their willingness to continually say “yes” has respectfully earned them this award.
Memory Walk SuperSTAR Award: Memory Milers of Friendship Village
This year a new award category was announced; the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk SuperSTAR award. This award recognizes any team or individual that demonstrates high achievement in the area of Memory Walk. This great achievement could come in the form of total revenue earned, total number of walkers recruited, or team that made the biggest increase in walkers or revenue since the previous year.
This year’s winner of the Memory Walk SuperSTAR award is the Memory Milers of Friendship Village. This team has experienced several great achievements. Each year, this Memory Walk team consistently raises thousands of dollars for the signature event. This year they recruited over 60 members and raised over $14,000. They also lend a VOICE to this disease throughout the year by holding fundraising events. This team is definitely on the MOVE to end Alzheimer’s disease. They are truly Champions for our cause.
Distinguished Service Club Award: Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club
The Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club has a special, collective connection to Alzheimer’s disease and the Association. Since 1997, their success in raising funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease in our community has been evident year after year. However, this past fall their achievements around the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk were heard nationwide! With a 42-member Memory Walk team and $6,312 raised, the Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club placed in the top 3 out of a field of 40 Parrot Head teams across the country. This extraordinary group continues to support our cause while they additionally work to support so many other important organizations throughout the year.
Program Services Award: Iowa Department of Elder Affairs
Executive Director John McCalley, of the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs receives our 2007 Program Award. Days after the creation of an Alzheimer’s disease task force was signed into law by Governor Culver, the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs swiftly reached across the state to secure industry experts and those personally affected by the disease. The end goal of the governor-appointed task force was to create a statewide road map that will serve to guide progression and improve the coordination of existing services. The plan will also stimulate innovation and consensus around the creation of other service enterprises to address gaps in service and the needs of Iowans currently affected and the additional thousands who will be diagnosed year after year until a cure or prevention is found. The Department of Elder Affairs staff is taking on this task in addition to their regular daily workload in record time. The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter Network applauds their dedication for their work on behalf of persons affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.
Advocacy Award: Senators Joe Bolkom and Mary Lundby
Senator Mary Lunby and Senator Joe Bolkcom were truly instrumental in MOVING forward important legislation relating to Alzheimer’s disease in 2007. The Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force was created to assess the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease on residents of the state. It examines the existing resources addressing the needs of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, as well as develops strategies to mobilize Iowans’ response to this public health crisis. This legislation was introduced and supported by the two Senators, as they recognized the importance of “having a plan” to address the 77,000 Iowans who are estimated to have Alzheimer’s by 2010.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Anne Salamon, Cedar Rapids
Anne Salamon has taken advantage of any opportunity to use her VOICE to OPEN people’s minds by increasing awareness of the disease to MOVE the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association forward. An East Central Iowa Chapter Board member and Chair of the Chapter’s Program Affairs Committee, Anne has touched every component of our mission, including Education, Support, Advocacy and Research.
Anne helped to kick off the most successful Alzheimer’s Disease Education Conference in the history of the Chapter. She is an active Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter Network Public Policy Committee member and responds to nearly every state and federal alert. She is highly regarded by the National Public Policy office in Washington and is frequently asked to contact Senators and Representatives to educate their staff about issues that adversely affect people with dementia and their caregivers.
In addition, Anne was recently one of three pharmacists, from a pool of 300 other nominees, who received Eisai’s Human Health Care Pharmacist Recognition Award for the contributions she has made towards improving the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Without hesitation, Anne donated the $3,000 award in which she received for her achievements, back to the Alzheimer’s Association toward the Jones/Stead Challenge.
New Volunteer of the Year Award: Gary Wicklund, Coralville
Gary Wicklund was new to the Board of Directors last year. During his first year on the board, he was elected as an officer and far exceeded our expectations. Gary and his wife, La Donna, have been active in every awareness event offered by the Alzheimer’s Association East Central Iowa Chapter through active participation and personally contributing and raising over $7,500. Gary has offered their stylish flat in London for numerous auctions and even opened up their home for invitation-only parties and committee meetings. He shares a passion for the target we strive to achieve everyday – raising concern, awareness and funds for the prevention and eventual cure of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association would like to thank each and every volunteer for their loyalty and dedication to the East Central Iowa Chapter. With their benevolent contributions and support, we are able to MOVE closer to our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.
