A lively, supportive crowd wearing purple in support of Alzheimer’s awareness cheered on the Jax Purple Parade in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 11. Lindsay Amerault, founder of The Admiral’s Daughters, launched the parade and evening gala at Beaches Museum as part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day initiative. With more than 150 participants in the parade and 80 gala tickets sold, the events raised $22,000 to benefit local programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association Central and North Florida Chapter.
Amerault’s personal experience as a caregiver to her father and late mother inspired her to create the fundraiser and awareness event. It honors local residents impacted by the disease, shows support and encouragement for others in her position, and provides a sense of community where caregivers and families can connect.
“Walking through the darkness of both of my parents having Alzheimer’s, sometimes you have to manufacture your own light,” Amerault says. “That is what the Jax Purple Parade and Gala represent for me. An opportunity to be a part of the end of this thing.”
Amerault described her mother as her biggest cheerleader, encouraging her and her siblings to “fail forward,” but her Alzheimer’s diagnosis degraded a lifetime of experiences an ultimately took her life. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease with no cure that affects memory, thinking and behavior. A few years after losing her mother, Amerault’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Aside from raising thousands to support Alzheimer’s Association, the gala celebrates caregivers. “We want to honor and recognize them for their selflessness,” Amerault says. “Most caregivers are unpaid.”
In Florida alone, more than 800,000 people are caregivers to loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. More than 16,000 residents in Duval County are living with Alzheimer’s and the number is expected to grow. According to the association, more than 6 million individuals in the U.S. are living with the disease.
“The $22,000 is the most direct form of help, but in organizing this, I have received emails, hugs and love from many community members who are also caregivers or who have lost loved ones to the disease,” Amerault says. “It’s incredible how much people will open up to you when they know you have walked the same path. That is part of the goal, for people to open up and share, to further the awareness of how many fare affected by the disease and ultimately end Alzheimer’s.”
Amerault is very pleased with the support. “We hope to grow the event year after year.”
