The coronavirus has affected businesses of all stripes, draining revenues and shrinking their customer base. So why, in this uniquely challenging time, is one Fort Collins-based company choosing this opportunity to take a stand against another devastating disease: Alzheimer’s?
Poudre Pet & Feed Supply is going out of its way to make a statement about the importance of aligning with causes that are important to them as community leaders. And, sometimes, they focus on a cause – like Alzheimer’s – that has affected them personally.
"We're grateful to have been able to grow our business and become a resource for animals and pet owners in Northern Colorado, and we are glad to be able to pay it back to the community now through giving," said Karen Horak, co-owner of Poudre Feed. "The Alzheimer's Association's mission is close to my heart because the women in my family have all lived into their 90s, and even over 100, and were afflicted with Alzheimer's. I know there is a high likelihood that I, too, will live a long life and get Alzheimer's or dementia, so efforts to find a cure or develop new treatments are extremely important to me."
Horak isn’t alone. One of the company’s sales clerks recently lost a grandfather with advanced Alzheimer's who just passed away from COVID. Before he died, he had to be placed in a medically induced coma because his Alzheimer's, exacerbated by isolation from family, made him paranoid, resulting in him trying to remove his ventilator and other medical equipment.
“The (COVID-19) pandemic has the ability to wreak even more havoc in the lives of families and patients affected by Alzheimer's than those who are not,” said Ashley Boothe, marketing director for Poudre Feed. “If the Alzheimer's Association were able to find a cure, some of the most heart-breaking struggles that patients in isolation have experienced could be prevented or alleviated in the future. That's why it's important to continue supporting the Association through donations and sponsorship, even during this difficult time."
The bottom line: pay it forward.
"It's really about paying it forward to the community that has been so supportive of our business over the past 30+ years by giving to the causes that align not only with our business but also with our personal values and passions," Horak said.
This year, Poudre Pet & Feed Supply, which has grown to six stores across Northern Colorado since its founding in 1988, is sponsoring the Sept. 12 Larimer Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“Poudre Feed is a leader in our community, and we are excited to have them return as sponsor,” said Katie Petersen. “To ensure that the Alzheimer’s Association has the resources to serve the 76,000 Coloradans living with Alzheimer’s, as well as fund research to find a cure, we need many corporate and individual sponsors to step up. Poudre Feed takes its community involvement seriously.”
The Larimer County Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held Saturday, Sept. 12. This year, to ensure health and safety, participants will walk through their communities individually and in small groups on paths and trails. To register for or donate to the Larimer County Walk, go to
alz.org/walk
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.