Quest For the Cure Team leader Linda Cioffi said 2020 has presented “a few challenges” with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic limiting social gatherings yet the fundraising group has still managed to gather over $45,000 toward Alzheimer’s and dementia research.
“It’s pretty amazing since we used to do a monthly fundraiser here at the lodge,” Cioffi said, referring to the Alpine View Lodge assisted living facility she owns and manages.
To overcome the loss of funds from in-person fundraisers held in past years that are not viable this year due to the pandemic, Cioffi and her team have organized craft and bake sales through the lodge, including a Fourth of July bake sale that left Cioffi “handing out pies till the cows came home” but netted the facility over $2,500.
“Also, one of the things we’ve had— and I cannot compliment them enough— is our Monarch club members, people who have given $1,000 or more for probably eight years. It was amazing to me that even though I couldn’t do the kinds of things as in past years, they still stepped up and raised funds,” Cioffi said.
The annual October drawing, a chance to win a vacation of their choice is still happening, Cioffi said, and “we’ll find something to make it memorable”, whether winners decide they want to go on a trip or stay closer to home.
“We’re still doing our annual walk on Oct. 17, but it will be held somewhat virtually. Participants can get up and walk wherever they want to instead of all being in one place. I reached out to our team and about 67 of us will be meeting at Santee Lakes to walk, socially distanced and masked,” Cioffi said.
She is also holding a walk at the Alpine facility so residents can participate without having to leave the safety of the grounds.
“It’s going to be so much fun, we have cowbells to ring, family members can cheer them on, people can sponsor a senior here at the lodge,” Cioffi said.
Residents have also been working behind the scenes at the lodge to craft what Cioffi calls ‘fence slat snowmen,’ that are made in-house by residents and sold prior to the winter holidays.
“We’ve generated over $2,000 in sales on crafts with a purpose. We’ll have another bake sale at Christmas time as well: hot chocolate mason jars,” Cioffi said.
She said the crafts serve the dual purpose of raising funding for Alzheimer’s research and keeping the isolated seniors engaged because “this pandemic came along and unfortunately further isolated people who were already isolated”.
the lodge to craft ‘fence slat’ snowmen.
Cioffi said the team will likely end the year somewhere between $50,00 to $55,000 in donations, not quite the record $82,059 raised in 2019 but still a significant portion of funds raised for Alzheimer’s San Diego.
Every dollar the team raises stays in San Diego, she said, and touted a relatively low 8% overhead for administrative costs. More information can be found at: www.alzsd.org/quest where donations can be made to Quest For the Cure.
“We really feel like we’re less than five years away from something that can impact Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Cioffi said.
