Team Union Bank at the 2017 Walk4ALZ
“On September 4th, 2013, I lost my mom for the second and final time,” Rose Adams says.
“I lost her, or, more appropriately, she lost me, when this dreaded disease wiped out all memory of who I was.”
Rose, like so many other sons and daughters, watched her mother, Rosa, slip away to Alzheimer’s disease. But she’s channeled her grief into action, as the captain of Union Bank’s Walk4ALZ team. Every year, she walks for her mom.
Growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rosa was a firsthand witness to history – her neighbor was Che Guevara. As a staunch anti-communist, she refused to meet Fidel Castro and his “entourage” when he came to pay respects to Guevara’s family, even though he was at her front door. Her exact words to him are not appropriate to repeat.
Rose says her mom’s fierce personality started to disappear after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“The woman who was my mom slowly vanished as Alzheimer’s took its toll on her mind and body,” Rose explains. But Rosa wasn’t the only victim.
“It took its toll on my sister as well,” she adds. “She made so many sacrifices, put her life and dreams on hold, just so she could take care of our mother. I will never be able to repay her for all she did, nor be able to give her back all that she gave up.”
Rose supports Alzheimer’s San Diego in the hopes that one day, scientists will find a cure for this devastating disease. Until that happens, she knows we’re here to help families like hers.
“There are so many that have experienced the heartache of seeing a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s. Be it a parent, grandparent, spouse, or a dear friend,” says Rose. “Alzheimer’s San Diego does so much to help raise awareness about this disease, in addition to providing much needed support and helping to advance research on finding a cure. I know that through all their efforts a cure will be found, and that one day no one else will have to watch as someone they love and care for fades away.”
Rose hopes her story will inspire others to participate in Walk4ALZ. Her biggest fundraising tip is reaching out to your network at work. Getting coworkers involved is a great way to bring your company together for a cause.
Every year Rose posts a blog on her company’s intranet site which includes the information on the Walk, dates and times when the “Donation Station” is open, a link to the Union Bank Team page so that employees can sign up to take part in the Walk and make donations, and a personal message as to why she take part in this event. She also posts team photos from prior year events and flyers about joining the Union Bank Team all over her cubicle.
“I am fortunate enough to work for a company that supports and encourages all of their employees to give back to their community,” Rose says. “Walk4ALZ will be featured in our division’s Volunteer Opportunities this year. I am truly grateful for the support of our Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Outreach group, which each year has posted Walk4ALZ on the company wide Volunteer Opportunities site.Thank you Frank Robinson and JR Raines! Your support and encouragement has been and continues to be outstanding.”
