Community Corner

Researcher, Nephew First to Finish Alzheimer's Swim

More than 60 swimmers and kayakers participate in 'Distant Memories' swim.

An Alzheimer's researcher at Stony Brook University and his nephew were the first to finish the 10th annual Distant Memories Swim for Alzheimer's in Northport Monday.

Bill Van Nostrand, 55, and his nephew, Robert Van Nostrand, 24, swam the three miles from Asharoken Beach across to Knollwood Beach in Centerport in just over one hour. The water was choppy and the current strong, Bill said, but he managed to steer clear of stinging jellyfish.

Bill, in his fourth consecutive year participating in the swim, has both a personal and career investment in the race. After losing his father to Alzheimer's and studying the disease for 25 years at both University of California Irvine and Stony Brook, he said there is still so much left to learn.

"As the population ages it's becoming a bigger issue," he said. "Largely many treatments have been unsuccessful, which underscores the complexity of the disease. There is still a lot to be understood about the basic mechanisms that give rise to the disease and that gives insight as to how to treat or prevent it."

The Distant Memories Swim was started 10 years ago by Huntington teacher Bryan Proctor who lost his grandfather to Alzheimers in 2009. The goal is to raise $20,000 this year to donate to the Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center which provides information, resources, and support to families caring for those diagnosed with the disease.

So far, 61 swimmers and kayakers in this year's event have raised over $12,000 in sponsorships, and donations are expected to come in throughout the month. If Distant Memories meets this year's goal, they will have raised over $100,000 for ADRC overall.

According to The Alzheimer's Association, one in three seniors die with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia and, in 2012, 15.4 million caregivers provided an estimated 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care, valued at more than $216 billion.


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