Writing

Moline rock-a-thon raises money to fight Alzheimers
Amber Ridge event lasts 12 hours

By: Kelly Steuck - Published in the Quad-City Times on Sunday, August 29, 2004

Anyone who says you can't make money sitting on your derriere should have been at the Amber Ridge Assisted Living and Arbor Village complex in Moline on Saturday.

With a goal of raising $7,500 toward the 2004 Alzheimer's Memory Walk, volunteers, residents, family members and staff used 12 rocking chairs and a little leg power to do just that over 12 hours at the Rock-A-Thon.

By noon alone, the folks at Amber Ridge had already raised $3,500.

Mary Junkin, a second-shift certified nursing assistant, was one of the few determined to sit on her rocker for the full 12 hours. That's right, 12 hours with no bathroom breaks.

"I've decided that everyone who leaves their chair has to give $1," she said.

Most of the other rockers were taking shifts, so Junkin took down names each time someone got up to keep track of how much everyone owed.

Besides being the rocker with the pad and pencil, she stood out from the crowd for another reason. She rented a dress from Costumes By Patti Jo that made her look as though she should be rocking on the porch of an antebellum plantation instead of a slab of cement.

"I told them I'd surprise them, and I did," she said, laughing.

Other fund-raising activities included a craft sale, white elephant auction, book fair, silent auction and concessions. There were kids games and live entertainment, including performances by the Mid-State Side Stepppers.

Brandi Osborn, the activity directory at Amber Ridge, had many of her family members on hand as Rock-a-Thon volunteers. When she informed co-owner Helen Bialecki that they had already raised almost half of their fund-raising goal by noon, she got a hug in return.

"We feel that if we can raise more money, we can create awareness (about Alzheimer's)," Bialecki said. "People don't need to be institutionalized."

The Rock-a-Thon was held in memory of August Thorval "Augie" Nelson, who died Aug. 11 at the age of 82.

His son, Dr. Richard Nelson of Moline, said his father, who had an advanced case of Alzheimer's disease, spent the last eight months of his life at Amber Ridge.

"He loved it here and was lucky to be able to live here," Nelson added.

Amber Ridge, 900 43rd Ave., which offers retirement and assisted living housing as well as care to special needs children, opened its doors in December. It has 31 apartments. Arbor Village is a cluster of 20 townhomes available to people 55 years and older.