Despite being buffeted by blustery winds, Bill Penney accomplished what he set out to do – celebrating another milestone birthday by “thumbing my nose at Father Time and proving that age is only a number.”
Penney, president and CEO of Marine Bank and Trust Co., created a ‘65 Ride to Remember’ fundraiser, cycling 65 miles and requesting donations of at least $1 per mile to benefit the Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of Indian River County.
And it’s not the first time Penney has used fortitude for philanthropy.
“When I turned 50, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh I’m way too old. I need to prove to myself that I’m still young,’” said Penney, recalling that to do so, he rollerbladed 50 miles to benefit the United Way of Indian River County. That skate raised $6,500 for the United Way Campaign, which he and wife Karen were chairing at the time.
“It was a unique fundraiser that people could get behind,” said Penney. “And then I turned 55 and I did a 55-mile rollerblade for the Red Cross, and we raised about $10,500 dollars. The response to that was truly amazing.”
However, Penney said, the 55-mile trek was so physically demanding that he hung up his skates. “I have not rollerbladed since that day. It was brutally hard. I did it, because I committed to do it, but man I said, ‘I’m never doing that again.’”
His eldest daughter got married around the time of his 60th birthday and, not wanting to take the spotlight away from that momentous occasion, he held off that year.
For his 65th birthday, he opted to raise funds for Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of IRC, having sat on that board for about the past five years.
“That’s the one that’s closest to my heart at this time. My mom had Alzheimer’s so that’s where the passion stems from,” said Penney, who has raised more than $11,000 so far, with donations still coming in.
Almost more important, it’s a platform to raise awareness of the programs and services offered by the nonprofit, whose mission is to “improve the quality of life for individuals and families in Indian River County who are affected by memory and movement disorders, through support, education and connection.”
Programs include Respite Care, which offers caregivers an opportunity to take their loved ones to the Alzheimer & Parkinson facility, where they’ll enjoy safe, social activities, so that the caregivers can tend to their own needs.
“It’s just so hard to be a caregiver,” stressed Penney.
They also offer Project Lifesaver, a device used in coordination with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to search for patients who wander off; memory screenings, movement classes and support groups; and Virtual Dementia Experiences, which helps people to better understand what individuals with dementia are experiencing.
Penney stressed that they’re all free of charge, funded entirely through private donations and grants. Everything is open again, with the exception of partnership classes with the Vero Beach Museum of Art, and all staff and most participants are fully vaccinated.
“We’re trying to make this a Dementia Friendly Community, where people understand what dementia is. And with programs like the Virtual Dementia Experience, they can experience that level of frustration,” said Penney.
Having gone through the experience, he recalls doing well through the initial activities, such as setting the table, but was stumped when tasked with tying a tie.
“Now Mary, I tie a tie every day when I go to work. And I couldn’t tie my tie. I got so mad, I started throwing things. Then I said ‘OK, I get it!” Penney had experienced the sort of irritation felt by dementia patients as they try to remember even the simplest of tasks.
Penney was joined on his 65-mile ride by “hard core” riders Gene O’Neill and Kathy Flynn, who rode the whole way, and others including Charles and Rosemary Sanford, Len Pettyjohn, Danette Dieffenbach, Dr. Seth Coren, and Lynn O’Malley who peddled in at various times.
The cyclists met up at Jaycee Park about 6:45 a.m. and headed north on A1A, before turning back at south Melbourne Beach for the return ride and a birthday celebration at Jaycee Park.
“The worst part was coming south over the Sebastian inlet bridge. The wind was whipping pretty hard, and it was moving me around in the bike lane. I was trying not to get hit by a car and also to not run into the side of the bridge. It was a little dicey, but we made it; no injuries,” said Penney. “It was just hang on and pedal. We’ll do it again for 70, so mark your calendars.”
For more information, or to donate, visit alzpark.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones
