Carol Lacks, second from right, gathered with individuals from the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and other volunteers at a fundraiser at the Forest Park Carousel last Friday evening. Photo Courtesy Josephine Wendell
More than 200 residents from throughout Queens gathered at the Forest Park Carousel in Woodhaven last Friday to take a spin on the wooden animals, don face paint and revel in the company of neighbors – all in the name of ending Alzheimer’s.
There were a number of activities for the evening’s younger participants, including balloon animals, face-painting and a magician. Photos Courtesy Michael Sturm
Kew Gardens resident Carol Lacks organized the second annual “Evening Ride on the Forest Parks Carousel to End Alzheimer’s,” which raised about $1,300 for the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The association aims to eliminate the disease which impacts 26.6 million people worldwide and for which no cure has yet been discovered.
“I really want people to know about the association,” said Lacks, who worked with about 20 community volunteers to run the two-hour event. “My mother has dementia, and I found out about the association and it made such a difference in my life.”
As part of the fundraiser, residents were able to take spins on the recently landmarked carousel, and there was also a variety of activities for children, from face-painting to balloon animals and a magician. Raffle prizes were given out, including two $400 tickets from Southwest Airlines and a barbeque from the Home Depot on Metropolitan Avenue in Glendale.
The carousel fundraiser is a prelude to the Queens Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 29 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Lacks said.
“This is the third year of the Queens walk – last year we had over 700 people and we’re hoping to do even better this year,” Lacks said.
The walk in 2012 raised $93,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association – which Lacks said “totally blew us away.”
For more information and to sign up for the walk, visit http://www.alz.org/nyc.
By Anna Gustafson
