Dementia Support Center helps community ‘make more memories’

ALBANY – For Nancy Goode, the executive director of the Margaret Jo Hogg Dementia Support Center, a couple of adages hold true: Give the people what they want and know it when a good thing shows up.

Keeping those admonitions in mind, Goode and the board of the Dementia Support Center decided to hold onto a good thing by bringing the Grapevine Band back for the organization’s April 17 fundraiser “Making More Memories.”

“Last year, everyone had so much fun,” Goode said of the most recent lone fundraiser that supports the Dementia Support Center, which offers activities for patients suffering from various dementias. “As they left, a lot of people said, ‘Let’s do this again next year.”

And so it is, as the support center prepares for its 18th gala at Doublegate Country Club.

“I’ve been here for 16 of these fundraisers, and we’ve had them at different places over the years,” Goode said. “But Doublegate is the easiest – and best bargain – for the support center. Some on our board are members of Doublegate, so there is no cost for use of the entire downstairs of the country club.

“They also set everything up, prepare the food, and do the cleanup. All we have to pay for is the food, and it’s great.”

“Tickets” (there are no actual printed tickets; interested persons can reserve their spot at the event by contacting Goode at (229) 432-2705) are $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight. And in addition to the fun music of the Grapevine Band, supporters will eat like kings and queens.

“Our menu calls for a salad bar, a Ceasar’s salad bar, fresh vegetables, filets with a jus, salmon piccata and shrimp scampi,” Goode said. “There will be desserts, coffee, tea and water, and a cash bar.

“Dinner starts at 6 p.m., and the band will start playing around 7:30 on the patio. They are scheduled to play until 9, but if the people want more, they’ll probably keep going.”

Goode said she’s already sold nine of the 27 tables available for groups of eight, and she encouraged supporters to go ahead and make their reservations.

“We’ll be at capacity with 210 tickets sold, and we’ve always sold out,” she said. “I think what we do is important to families with individuals who have dementia, and this event helps us to provide meaningful activities for them.”

Goode said sponsorships are available at various levels, including:

$3,000 — which gets the sponsor’s logo or name on event advertising, a logo banner at the event, program recognition and a reserved table for eight;

$1,500 — which comes with event recognition, program recognition and six tickets;

$1,000 — which gets the sponsor program recognition and four tickets;

$500 — which comes with program recognition and two tickets.