DriveHard

Alzheimer's Discussed on GlobalTV

2012-01-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you missed the segment on GlobalTV last night discussing dementia, have a look...

A New Look for a New Year

2012-01-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

A belated Happy New Year to all our followers, supporters, partners and visitors. We're really excited for the year ahead and hope that it holds lots of love and prosperity for all of you.

As you may have noticed, we've given our website a bit of a makeover for 2012. We've transitioned to a blog format, in an attempt to keep you more informed, quicker and more frequently that with our old format. Throughout the coming year, we'll be keeping you up to date on our work as well as updates on the Alzheimer's community and the great work being done by Caddy for a Cure.

We hope you find the navigation of the new website to be user friendly; using the tabs along the top of the page you'll be able to find your way to the different sections. Any comments, questions and/or suggestions are always welcomed; our particulars are listed on the contact page.

Hilarity for Charity

2012-01-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

Did you hear Seth Rogen is in competition to win the Alzheimer’s Association $25,000?! Not only is it true, but he’s counting on your donations to help him win. The contest ends on Jan. 11th so be sure to make a donation and help him win bragging rights & $25,000 to help end Alzheimer’s! Visit the Hilarity For charity website.

SETH'S MESSAGE:

Hilarity for Charity started as a message to my generation that it’s time to step up and realize that Alzheimer’s is not just an ‘old person’ disease, but something that will greatly affect all of us. Having a family member with Alzheimer’s disease has made me aware of the damage it does not only to the person who has been diagnosed, but to the caregivers, friends and family who surround the person.

This is why I’m asking for your help with a donation, this is why I’m doing my part to raise awareness by hosting Hilarity for Charity on Jan. 13 in LA.

You don’t want to miss this event. It’s going to be really fun. I’m performing. Aziz Ansari, Bruno Mars, Charlyne Yi, GZA, Judd Apatow & Ty Burell from Modern Family will all be doing something too. It’s all to raise cash for Alzheimer’s research and treatment. *performers are suject to change

The benefactor of the evening, the Alzheimer’s Association, is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. An estimated 5.4 million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s. By 2050 it is estimated that 16 million Americans will be living with the disease.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to ALL! We think we figured out what Santa does in the "off season"...he CADDY'S FOR A CURE! This may be a candid shot of him with Sean O'Hair a few years ago.

We hope you have a fantastic Christmas season with family and loved ones!

A Beautiful Spirit Celebrated

2011-12-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

Life with someone who has Alzheimer's and dementia can be a celebration and important time. This disease will either be a source of suffering or a source of joy depending on whether we connect with our spirit and the spirit of those around us. It is our choice. Be empowered to live life as a celebration of joy and connectedness by understanding that this moment is the only one that we have and that happiness and compassion are only a choice away.

People with Alzheimer's and dementia can thrive and have a wonderful quality of life when we believe in this possibility, recognize their spiritual enegry and give them the opportunity to live their lives in an environment that is nurturing and responsive to their needs. This book will help the reader begin to rethink what is possible for their loved one and for their own life.

Caddy for a Cure

2011-11-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

A short video from our friends and partners at Caddy for a Cure...

DriveHard Partners with Caddy for a Cure

2010-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to have partnered with Caddy for a Cure (CFAC), working towards a common goal of raising money and awareness for charity through the golf community. Caddy for a Cure provides a unique and exciting golf experience unlike any other. So, what exactly is all the excitement about? How about having the opportunity to go inside the ropes, side-by-side, with some of the world's best players on the world's best and most famous courses, during official PGA Tour events? Or the Open Championship winner, Padraig Harrington, what is was like to be the first European player to win the Open Championship since 1999? Or to basically ask any question you can think of from your favorite player while helping him prepare for PGA Tour tournament competition? Caddy for a Cure offers just that opportunity and more. You actually get to "caddie" for a day for one of the world's best on the PGA Tour.

Caddy for a Cure allows the average golf fan to actually do everything that the regular PGA Tour Caddie does for a day. And, having the luxury of having the regular PGA Tour Caddie along with you makes it all that much more manageable for those who have never done caddying before. After all, it's not every day that you stand in front of thens of thousands of people doing something you've never experienced before for one of the superstars in sport. Whether you are a good player wanting to get that extra insight into the PGA Tour, or the average player just wanting to get a thrill of a lifetime, Caddy for a Cure is for you.

Caddy for a Cure was a solution conceived by program founder and PGA Tour caddie, Russ Holden, to utilize the popularity and appeal of his profession to help reduce and ultimately eliminate Fanconi Anemia. Since its inception, Caddy for a Cure has donated nearly $400,000 to charities including Fanconi Anemia.

Through this newly formed alliance between DriveHard and Caddy for a Cure, we plan to further promote charitable giving around the golf industry. This joint initiative will help to generate increased awareness for both programs which we expect to increase in our sales and ultimately in the amount of money to be raise for charity.

"We're very excited to be working in conjunction with Russ and Caddy for a Cure. It's such a great program with a terrific vision" said Scott Stevens, manager of Business Development with DriveHard. "In a very short amount of time, the DriveHard campaign has already generated an overwhelming amount of attention, and this alignment with Caddy for a Cure will help us reach all corners of the golf industry."

For more information about DriveHard, our work with Caddy for a Cure and our other current initiatives, please visit us online at: www.drivehard.org

DriveHard Magazine Ad

2010-03-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sample DriveHard ad which has been displayed in several golf publications across North America including the New England Golf Monthly (www.mynegm.com).

Memories Slip, but Golf is Forever (part II)

2010-03-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

When one of her 10-footers rolled into the hole, Joan Brown, 82, looked up with bemused surprise. "Oh," she said, "such perseverance."
For Joan Brown, an elegant, 82-year-old Alzheimer's sufferer, the chance to hold a club and putt for a while is like a powerful mood-altering drug.
Ms. Brown's son, Steven, moved her to Silverado last year because she kept wandering away from the assisted-living facilities where she had been staying. She needed a place where the staff would monitor her 24 hours a day. Last Wednesday morning, terror gripped Ms. Brown at the thought of heading out for an afternoon of golf. "I can't do that," she said, shaking her head and growing agitated. "I've never played golf before. ... No, I can't do that at all." Like Mr. Johnston, she wanted to be left alone.
But just after noon, as Ms. Brown and her son began tapping balls toward their targets on the putting green at Deep Cliff, she spoke of how she had learned to play as a child in Calgary, Canada. Her father, a Scot, was a committed golfer, she said. She recalled taking lessons from a local pro and talked about the weekly ladies rounds she played. "I could always hit the ball long." she said.
Noticing a few small dogs on a leash nearby, she remarked that they weren't allowed on the golf course, and that the managers probably weren't too happy about them being there. When one of her 10-footers rolled into the hole, she looked up with bemused surprise and batted her blue eyes. "Oh," she said, "such perseverance."
Glenn Peterman, 89, had spent most of the morning at Silverado nearly immobile on a park bench, his watery right eye tearing uncontrollably. Mr. Peterman, another former golfer, uses a walker and has trouble standing up. He delivers one-word answers -- mostly "yes" -- to most questions. Asked about his family, Mr. Peterman gazed upward like an 8-year-old who's just been handed a calculus problem.
At Deep Cliff, Mr. Peterman shunned a golf cart for a walk down a steep path to the practice area. With the help of a caregiver, he stood over a ball, used his club for a moment of support, then began stroking the ball toward the hole, silently negotiating the required speed and distance with each successive shot. If one shot went too hard, his next swing would be softer, and vice versa. There was even the hint of a smile when the occasional putt dropped in. His right eye was tear-free.
After a few minutes, Mr. Peterman grew tired and sat on a nearby bench.
He used to play a lot of golf, he said. "I played with my children," he said, "Larry and Mike."

A charitable Arm of Golf (by Chris Chirico @ Golfstinks)

2010-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

"If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble."

-Bob Hope

These days it seems sports and charities go hand-in-hand. Most every athlete, superstar or not, aligns themselves with at least one charity upon turning pro...many times more than one. In some instances, athletes will start-up their own charity. And all of this is great! What better way to pass a good message across than through the popularity of sports?! With so many different charitable organizations contributing to so many different causes, there should only be two questions to ask yourself - What can I do? And too which charity/charities should I contribute?

Notice one of the questions is not whether or not you should contribute. It is my own personal opinion that this question should never enter your mind. Contributing something to charity should be a given.

So what can you do? Giving something to a charity does not necessarily mean donating large sums of money. Most of us do not have the means to do so. But nearly everyone can spare a bit. And just as important, everyone can spend a little time helping out. Everyone has heard the phrase "every little bit helps." That phrase is 100% on the money. If more people were of this mindset, then donating just a few dollars here and there would make the world a better place. Don't have the few extra dollars to spare? Volunteering your time to a charitable cause can be just as important.

But which charities do you help out? The real answer to this should be that it doesn't matter. Just help in any way you can. But to help narrow it down, I try to find charities that are more personal to me. My father passed away from complications due to cancer. So, in turn, I will donate money to charities related to cancer cures, research and treatment. I'm also an animal lover, so I like to give something to organizations such as the ASPCA. In the past, I have also donated my time as a volunteer to the Special Olympics. I have no personal stake in the Special Olympics. Some members of my family were volunteering and I just felt it was a good thing to do. I had the time to help out, so why shouldn't I?

Recently, we here at Golfstinks have come across another charitable campaign with some personal meaning to us - Drivehard.

Drivehard is a campaign created by Eat Sleep Golf to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer's. Since a couple of us here at Golfstinks have had family members affected by Alzheimer's (as well as other forms of dementia) and we are obviously all fans of golf, it seems like a perfect match. Being that Alzheimer's affects more than two million Americans and over a half-million Canadians, and indirectly affects countless others, chances are you have a family member, or know someone who does, that is affected by this disease. If this is the case, then you know how helpless it can make a person feel. So why not do something to assist in the path to a cure?

Charitable donations are of vital importance in the fight against the most deadly and debilitating diseases in the world today. Without the help and assistance of generous participants in campaigns such as Drivehard, progress in these fights would slow to a crawl. If just a few more people would do just a little bit, these battles could not only continue to be fought, but they could be won.

For more information on the Drivehard campaign against Alzheimer's, please visit http://www.drivehard.org/.

This article was written by Chris Chirico @ Golfstinks. For more great golf articles visit the Golfstinks Blog at: http://golfstinks.blogspot.com/

Memories Slip, but Golf is Forever

2010-02-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

by Matthew Futterman

Millions of golf enthusiasts have waxed endlessly about the game's mystical power and its hold on the human mind. A handful of people with Alzheimer's disease, no longer able to dress or nourish themselves without assistance, are proving them right.

A little after 9 a.m. last week, Wardell Johnston declared he wanted to be left alone. Confused and annoyed by the activities and tasks confronting him, the 87-year-old Alzheimer's sufferer shut his door at the Silverado Senior Living home in Belmont, Calif.
Just hours later, Mr. Johnston was measuring the uphill, right-to-left break on a 12-foot putt and knocking his ball into the hole. Then the former civil engineer, who played the game regularly as a younger man, ambled over to the driving range. He grabbed a six iron and practiced chipping with the sort of easy, stress-free swing duffers half his age could learn something from.
"I quit," he said with a cocky grin after each successful shot. Then he deftly cradled another ball with his club, moving it into position for the next stroke. "I haven't played a lot lately," he added. "I should, though. I've still got all the strokes."

Anyone who has dealt with people suffering from mid- to late-stage Alzheimer's knows how difficult it can be to transport someone from fear and confusion to contentment and lucidity. But at Silverado, caregivers have stumbled onto a technique that works nearly every time -- a golf outing. They run through a series of putting drills, knocking the ball around with the wonder of small children playing the game for the first time, which is how many of them experience it each week. For those who played the game when they were younger, swinging a club often sparks a startling transformation, however fleeting, that can make them seem like regular old folks again.

Experts in Alzheimer's say these weekly golf outings illustrate an individualized method of an increasingly popular treatment known as behavioural therapy. Behavioural therapy has been around for more than a decade, but personalizing the treatment to a patient's interests is less common. Rather than providing the same series of experiences to every patient, caregivers have begun to search for activities patients enjoyed when they were younger, and to allow the patients to experience them again.

"This is motor memory for these people, and usually you don't lose that," said Carl Cotman, a professor of neurology at the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Cotman, who has done research on treatment programs at assisted-living facilities throughout the country, said structured, individually focused experiences, especially ones that include off-site exercise like the golf outing, are rare. "It needs to be more common," he said.

Silverado and other assisted-living facilities often use activities like dancing or playing music to stimulate their residents. Like golf, such activities have proved helpful in both making people with dementia feel competent and generating periods of lucidity.

The problem is that personalizing activities for each Alzheimer's patient can be expensive. And playing sports has usually been deemed too difficult, since it often requires a level of balance and coordination -- think of riding a bicycle or hitting a tennis ball -- that people in the later stages of dementia no longer possess.

The golf swing, however, shows staying power in the human mind. "Golf is all about memory, and not just the motion of the swing, but your score and the club you hit and from how many yards you were from the hole," said Bert Hayslip Jr., a psychology professor at the University of North Texas who has studied Alzheimer's sufferers. "There is something about that game that imprints itself on people's minds."

The rule for memory among brain specialists is "first in, last out." The things we learn first -- our names, for instance -- are the memories we hold on to the longest. John Daly, director for the geriatric medicine fellowship training program at the University of California at San Diego, said explicit memories -- what you had for breakfast or even the current appearance of a spouse or a child -- are stored in the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer's usually affects this part of the brain first. Skills like swinging a golf club or playing a musical instrument are part of what is referred to as implicit or procedural memory, which is centered in the cerebellum and other areas of the brain. These are often some of the last memories Alzheimer's patients lose.

Push Alzheimer's sufferers to remember or recognize things they no longer do, and they will often become agitated, as most people do when they are being forced to understand something that is confusing. But give them an activity that once brought about true pleasure, and the agitation can dissipate, their minds can clear, and memories related to that activity can return.
"It's very innovative," Dr. Daly said of Silverado's golf outings, "and it's the sort of thing we're going to need to see a lot more of."

Currently, as many as 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, a number that is expected to rise to about 15 million by 2050, according to the national Alzheimer's Association. The most well-off can afford to live their final years in a place like Silverado, a $6,000-a-month facility with lush gardens, carpeted bedrooms resembling those in small hotels, pets, and an array of activities and entertainment to keep residents stimulated.

No one had thought to take the residents on an outing to a real golf course until Maryam Mahbod, an administrator, met a golf professional named Gerry Benton at a Bay Area concert last year. Ms. Mahbod told Mr. Benton she wanted to take a group of them to the golf course where Mr. Benton teaches in Cupertino, about 20 miles south of Belmont. Mr. Benton, an easygoing Californian with a yin-yang stud in his left ear, thought even a bad day on the golf course would beat another afternoon in an assisted-living facility.

Before they arrived at Deep Cliff Golf Course for the first time, Mr. Benton set up a series of drills on the practice green that he uses to teach young children, such as a tic-tac-toe grid and a croquet-like series of arches. He said he wasn't surprised by the physical abilities of the Alzheimer's sufferers. "You've got a stick, a ball and a hole, and there is something primal about that," Mr. Benton said. "That's how this game started, with a bunch of bored shepherds sitting around in Scotland knocking rocks."

Aloha Team Classic - 2010

2010-02-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

Join golfers from across the United States and Canada to play in the Aloha Team Classic - 2010 in Maui. This event offers participants two amazing options for tournament play. Choose whether to play in the all amateur event or join others that will play with their club pro and an LPGA Tour pro!

Taking place October 17th through the 20th 2010, this multi-day tournament promises to be one that you won't forget!

This information is being presented to you by the DriveHard Campaign and Beyond the Rainbow Foundation. The DriveHard Campaign was created to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer's through the sale of DriveHard golf wristbands (www.drivehard.org). Joining forces with Beyond the Rainbow Foundation, an all volunteer organization which is focused on "Helping Maui's youth realize the promise of their future!" We can think of no better challenge than to help Maui's youth while ensuring that they will not have to worry about Alzheimer's when they grow up.

Help support Alzheimer's and Maui's youth by participating in the Aloha Team Classic - 2010. For more details visit: www.AlohaTeamClassic.org

DriveHard Contact Info

2010-02-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

DriveHard has a focus of raising awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer's and Caddy for a Cure. Everyday our wingspan increases as we reach new locations. We'd love to hear your questions, comments or suggestions and will do our best to respond within 48 hours.

To submit your questions/comments to the DriveHard team, please email us at: sales@drivehard.org

DriveHard Campaign

2010-01-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

The DRIVEHARD campaign was created to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer's. Focusing on the golf community, we are fighting for a future where everyone can remember their past.

You can help by showing your support for the DRIVEHARD campaign and for the ongoing battle to conquer Alzheimer's by wearing a DRIVEHARD wristband. The dimpled wristband design replicates the dimples found on a golf ball; it's not only a stylish design, but wearing one will go a long way towards creating the much needed funds and awareness for Alzheimer's.

More than 500,000 Canadians and over 2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's or a similar form of dementia. These numbers continue to grow, and we need to fight for a cure. Together we can make a difference.

More information about the DRIVEHARD Campaign can be found online at: www.drivehard.org