“I am planning a ‘sweet tooth’ event because my grandmother loved sweets. This event will be all about tasting different kinds of sweets and making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s always a blessing to give support because you never know when it may affect you. The Longest Day is a great opportunity to get informed, learn the facts, and show support to those that have been affected by this disease. We have to find a cure.”
Kimlona Brown makes The Longest Day a sweet event
The Longest Day is all about love. Love for all those affected by Alzheimer’s. On the summer solstice, teams from all across Illinois are participating in activities that they love in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. Together, we will raise funds and awareness for care and support while advancing research toward the first survivor of Alzheimer’s. In this article, we feature one of our Longest Day participants, Kimlona Brown.
“The love I have for my grandmother is the type that goes to infinity,” math teacher and Chicago native, Kimlona Brown said. “She had always been there ever since I remember.”
Kimlona loves to reminisce about growing up with her spirited grandmother, and even compares the experience to ‘Meet the Browns.’
“My grandma had nine children – six boys and three girls – and plenty of grandchildren,” Kimlona said. “The majority of us lived with her at some point in our lives, which was truly an experience.”
Kimlona says her grandmother was always fearless and full of life, but in 2014, her grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. Then in 2008, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Kimlona Brown had to watch her loving grandmother slowly begin to deteriorate.
“I remember she would always talk about forgetting things,” Kimlona said. “One time I cooked food for her and she asked who cooked all the good looking food. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I told I her that I did, and asked if she would like some to take home. I dropped her off at home and cried all the way back to my house.”
“I knew I had to do something to help my grandmother,” Kimlona said. “I knew Ylandus Roundy, manager of The Longest Day since I had done work with her in the past. She introduced me to the work the Alzheimer’s Association and invited me to participate in The Longest Day. I found such a great support group through my team.”
Although Kimlona became very active in rising critical funds for Alzheimer’s research, her grandmother’s health began to decline rapidly, which led to her passing in October of 2016.
“She was well taken care of over the years,” Kimlona said. “She is truly missed. But participating in The Longest Day allows me to honor my grandmother’s life and raise funds to help find a cure.”
Keeping her grandmother in mind, Kimlona’s participation in this year’s Longest Day invokes a true celebration of her grandmother.
“I am planning a ‘sweet tooth’ event because my grandmother loved sweets. If it was sweet she was willing to try it,” Kimlona said. “This event will be all about tasting different kinds of sweets and making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Devo Entertainment will help with promoting the event so that we can have good attendance and meet the fundraising goal or beyond.”
“I am raising funds to find a cure and support an organization that cares about helping,” Kimlona said. “I hope these funds will help support families during their time of need.”
Kimlona also expressed hope that her participation will encourage others to get involved.
“It’s always a blessing to give support and be a blessing to others, because you never know when it may affect you,” Kimlona said. “The Longest Day is a great opportunity to get informed, learn the facts, and show support to those that have been affected by this disease. We have to find a cure.”
Join The Longest Day – Team up with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Select an activity you love, and plan your event on or around The Longest Day.