Roughly 70 players good-naturedly battled it out on the tennis courts last Tuesday – men at Windsor and women at Sea Oaks – and more than double that number later enjoyed a delightful dinner under the stars at the lovely Beach Club of Windsor. The grand-slam event was the 10th annual Play to Remember fundraiser to benefit the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association of Indian River County.
“People are great; we have such a great committee who work hard on this. It’s the spirit of this whole thing,” said Ann Faunce, the Grand Harbor resident who originated the event in her late sister’s honor. “We had to turn away people for the second time and we’ve had so many generous donations. We’re just thrilled.”
When her once vibrant sister Jane was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer at age 53, the family watched in despair as the disease sapped both mind and body; she passed away 10 years after diagnosis. Nearly 4 percent of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s are affected before age 65; many in their 40s and 50s.
After raising $2,000 at an initial luncheon at Grand Harbor ten years ago, the event rapidly expanded to include residents from a variety of tennis communities, including Windsor, Grand Harbor, Sea Oaks and John’s Island. This year’s event raised roughly $34,000.
Faunce said the committee now plans to take a year off and do something entirely different in two years. No doubt it will be an equally remarkable undertaking.
“My dad had Alzheimer’s; there are so many families that are affected,” said Wendy Eckert, who, along with Barb Schwin and Randye Finigan, have been on the committee from its inception.
“My father had Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, my husband’s aunt had Parkinson’s and my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, before they even called it that. So it’s something dear to me; it’s a family thing,” said Finigan.
“She’s the brainchild and the heart. It’s a labor of love,” said Schwin of Faunce’s dedication to the cause. “And quite frankly, we’re 10 years older, so you never know if we’re going to need help.”
“This year we are especially celebrating the life of a good friend of ours, Dianne Catullo,” said Faunce. A special orchid arrangement was made to honor Catullo, another committee member involved from the start, who passed away this summer.
Much of the money raised came from the sale of silent auction items, raffle tickets and a live auction that featured a large acrylic painted and donated by Timothy Sanchez, an Allan Van Nostrand painting donated by Betty Zadel, and Napa Valley Reserve 2008 Vintage Wine, donated by Chip and Kate Woody.
“Tennis people are a very positive, giving people and they’ve really given back to this county,” said Faunce. “What Peggy [Cunningham, executive director] does for the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association is just beyond belief. Every room, every closet, is filled with activities. I really think they’re just wonderful.”
“We have succeeded for 10 years bringing people together for great camaraderie and a great cause,” said Este Brashears, who along with Kathie and Michael Pierce, Lawrence Brashears, Pat Reynolds, JC Britt, Charlie Brashears and Windsor Properties, once again underwrote all the event costs.
Play to Remember has been the only major fundraiser to benefit the local Alzheimer and Parkinson Association other than the annual Walk to Remember, scheduled to take Ppace Saturday, Nov. 8 at Riverside Park in Vero Beach.
