NEWBERRY — Take the entire city of Atlanta and imagine that every resident has Alzheimer’s. That’s how Van Matthews, a former resident of Little Mountain, views the size of the disease.
Matthews and more than 270 other participants did their part to help the Alzheimer’s Association’s South Carolina Chapter this past weekend with the seventh annual A Ride to Remember.
The cross-state route began in Simpsonville on July 17 and ended in Mt. Pleasant on July 19. The ride made its first stop in Newberry on Friday night and the group had dinner at Steven W’s.
Beth Sulkowski, vice president of communications and advocacy for the South Carolina Chapter, said it was the first time they had ever tried to fit everyone into a restaurant while in Newberry.
“We enjoy traveling here each year and always feel welcome here,” Sulkowski said of Newberry.
Matthews graduated in 1975 from Newberry College with a degree in speech and theater. After teaching at Laurens High School for three years, he became a personal financial advisor and certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial and has remained there for the last 37 years. He lives in Greenville.
“I look forward to every year coming into Newberry,” Matthews said. “It’s home to me, but it’s a great town to come and have a stop like this.”
Matthews, who helped organize the ride in 2009 and has participated in all seven events, said they were told the first year that they would be lucky to break even, but raised $15,000 to the good.
“It just continued and is absolutely the best supported ride across South Carolina and maybe one of the best supported rides in the Southeast,” said Matthews, who has been on the board of the Alzheimer’s Association for 15 years.
The event also touches Matthews on a personal level.
Matthews, 62, said his mother died with Alzheimer’s disease after four and a half years at the Lowman Home in White Rock. His mother had mini strokes and had dementia, but no one ever mentioned that she had Alzheimer’s, which was listed on her death certificate.
Matthews said his father-in-law also suffered from dementia during the last few years of his life.
“My heart just goes out to someone who has to support a person with Alzheimer’s who can’t remember what they said three minutes ago,” Matthews said. “It’s a horrendous disease.”
A Ride to Remember is a three-day, 250-plus mile fundraising ride for the South Carolina Chapter.
In preparation, Matthews said he rode his bike every morning for 25 to 30 miles.
With heat a serious concern, Sulkowski said stops were planned every 10 to 15 miles for water, Gatorade and snacks.
An ambulance travelled for the route along with other support staff to assist if needed with mechanical problems, sports medicine, etc.
How it started
“A volunteer came to us with this idea,” Sulkowski said. “His mother was living with Alzheimer’s disease and he wanted to do something for her.”
The volunteer’s original idea was to ride from Greenville to Gainesville, which was ambitious, but they decided to keep the event inside the state. What started off with around 16 cyclists the first year has grown in seven years to over 270 riders.
“It grows by leaps and bounds each year,” Sulkowski said. “It’s very exciting and I think it’s a testament to the fact that riders enjoy themselves despite the heat and great distance they’re traveling just by the distance of their legs.”
Sulkowski said the event doubled participant numbers and dollars raised from the previous two years but organizers made some changes this year to ensure the event didn’t grow too quickly or outpace their ability to handle the event.
Previously, there was a $300 fundraising minimum to participate, but that number was raised to $500 this year.
“This was for crowd control and also to make sure we were making the ultimate goal which is to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association and support and research efforts,” Sulkowski said.
In terms of dollars raised to date, they are tracking 42 percent higher than what was raised at the end of last year, she said. Anyone can donate through the end of July online at aridetoremember.org.
In South Carolina today, there are more than 80,000 people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease and it takes an average of three caregivers per person with the disease. Nationally, around five million people are affected by Alzheimer’s.