We Walk to End Alzheimer's

Yesterday we took part in the Walk to End Alzheimer's - Greater Hartford as Team Nana's Bananas in Memory of our Mom Jeanette. 

Team Nana's Bananas
12 members strong!

Mom lost her battle with this terrible disease back in June of this year and we wanted to get out there and do all that we can to help this cause so no family has to lose a loved one to Alzheimer's or Dementia. 

Not only did we hold up our Purple flowers symbolizing that we had lost our sweet mother to this terrible disease, we held them up to remember all those who have been lost. 

In mine and Krystina's families alone, we have lost 7 loved ones to Alzheimers. We used the Walk to be able honor and remember all of them as well. Featuring their pictures along side Mom's on the tribute wall. 

Nonnie Gilda, Grandma Marion, Mr. D, Auntie Janice, Auntie Rose & Auntie Carol

What color flower would you hold and place in the Promise Garden? Are you living with Alzheimer's or Dementia?

Have you lost someone? Are you a caregiver? Do you support the cause and a vision of a world without Alzheimer's and Dementia? 

Our goal and mission is to be able to add the first white flower to the garden to symbolize the first person that survives Alzheimer's. Wouldn't that be incredible?

Thanks to the thousands across the country who Walk to End Alzheimer's we are getting closer than ever to this goal!

Thank you to all of you who have donated to our team to help us reach our goal this year! 

Krystina was our team captain, and was able to reach Grand Champion level. 

Our hopes for next year is to get more of our team to join the Champions Club. 

We will continue to fight and keep Mom's memory alive, until we are able to End Alzheimer's!

Pausing from the walk to take a picture inside Rentschler field, home of Uconn Football

Auntie Bonnie (Mom's sister) & Alan Jr. 

Alan Jr. & Candy

Krystina, Michael (Krystina's cousin) & Alan Jr. 

Uncle John & Gary (Krystina's Dad)

Alan Jr, Ethan (Nephew) & Morgan (Niece)

Carol (Krystina's mom) & Auntie Bonnie

Alan Jr. & Krystina holding the purple flower for loss & yellow flower for caregivers

Even Maverick got in on the fun & fundraising. He was all smiles to "Paws" to End Alzheimer's 

We had a great day Walking to End Alzheimer's! 

Here is to bigger and better goals for next year! 💜

Dine & Donate with Team Nana's Bananas

🍌 Dine & Donate with Team Nana’s Bananas! 💜

Join us at Hop Haus Craft Eatery – Berlin on

📅 Monday, October 13, 2025

🕓 4 PM – 6 PM

When you dine with us, 10% of sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Come out, enjoy great food and drinks, and help us make a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Together, we can turn good times into real impact!

📍 9 Steele Blvd, Berlin, CT

#HopHausBerlin #NanasBananas #DineAndDonate #WalkToEndAlzheimers

Dine & Donate Event

Our Walk to End Alzheimer's Team, Nana's Bananas is holding one last big fundraiser to try and reach our team fundraising goal of $2000 and you're all invited! 

Please join us Monday, October 13th from 4-6pm at Hop Haus Craft Eatery, Berlin, CT

10% of all sales will be donated to our team. 

We will be set up with a table of things to purchase as well.

We would love to meet some of you!

So please come out and enjoy some great food and help a great cause!  

If you are unable to attend you can still make online donations to our team by scanning the QR code on our team flyer or by visiting our team website at 

http://act.alz.org/goto/Nanasbana

Thank you for all your continued support in keeping mom's memory alive. 

World Alzheimer's Month Auction

September is World Alzheimer's & Dementia Month. This month is used to bring awareness around the world to Alzheimer's & Dementia. A cause very close to our family's heart, having lost our grandmother and now our mother to this terrible disease. 

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, with 60-80% of all dementia diagnoses. 

7.2 million Americans, 1 in 9, 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's.

200,000 Americans ages 30-64 are living with early-onset dementia. 

4.4 million, or 1 in 5, woman and 2.8 million, or 1 in 10, men are living with Alzheimer's.

By the year 2050, the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is estimated to reach 13 Million. 

As most of you know, my girlfriend, Krystina and myself took care of mom for 3 1/2 years after Pops passed away. But we are not alone in this fight. 

Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for a family member or friend. Totaling 19.2 billion hours of unpaid care in 2024 at a value of more than $413 billion dollars! 

 

1 in 3 Americans will die with Alzheimer’s & Dementia. It kills more than breast & prostate cancer combined. 

People 65 and older survive, on average, 4 to 8 years after diagnosis, with some living as long as 20 years. 

This reflects the slow and uncertain progression of this terrible disease. 

 

This is exactly why we are taking part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in memory of mom on October 19th. We want to bring more awareness and funds to help end this terrible disease. 

To help our team, Nana's Bananas, reach our fundraising goal of $2000,

we will be holding an auction for the month of September. 

We will be auctioning off TWO of Pops books, Thin Blue Lines.

Rules for the Auction are as follows:

The auction begins today and will end September 30, 2025. 

Opening bid is $10. 

All bids must be posted on this blog, with the amount your bidding and your name. 

The top 2 bids will be announced on October 1st.

Winners will pay their bids directly to our team page.

Winners will be contacted for their address and the books will be sent out. 

We thank you all in advance. 

Happy bidding! 

If you would like to strictly make a donation you can do so by scanning the QR code